SB Nation - Jay Alford

The Giants are broken ... Now, how can they be fixed?

Ed Valentine — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:00:20 -0000

by Michael Perez - AP

Philadelphia Eagles' LeSean McCoy (29) rushes past New York Giants' Aaron Rouse (26) in the second half during an NFL football game Sunday. This type of thing has been happening to the Giants defense on a regular basis.

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We spent Monday complaining about all of the things that have gone wrong with our long-ago 5-0 New York Giants. Today, let's turn the page and think about what Tom Coughlin and Co. can do fix some of the things that have gone wrong the past three weeks.

I am starting with this premise. The biggest problem on this football team -- without any doubt in my mind -- is the underwhelming defense. This team was built to dominate defensively while the offense found its way as the young group of wide receivers grew into its responsibilities.

There have been weeks when the offense has not played well, which he realistically had to expect entering the season. Or when various aspects of the special teams have not played well. The one constant, though, has been that against good teams the defense has been completely overmatched.

When we weren't talking about Plaxico Burress during the off-season, we were talking about the devastating defense we thought General Manager Jerry Reese had assembled. So far this season, the only things the defense is devastating is the Giants' chance to be a good football team.

In the last three weeks the Giants have given up 112 points (37.3 per game) and been riddled by too many huge plays for me to even think about. Forget being a dominant defense. Bill Sheridan's unit is not even close to being a competent one right now.

So, what can be done to improve the situation? I am going to break this down into four categories -- defensive line, linebackers, secondary and philosophy.

via i391.photobucket.com

The defensive line

Remember back in the pre-season when we were wondering how defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan was going to find roster space -- and snaps -- for all the talented defensive linemen the Giants had collected?

Well, now the question is can anyone on that front four make a play?

The Giants are tied for seventh in the league with 18 sacks, but it is obvious that the front four cannot consistently pressure quarterbacks by itself -- which was the plan with this group. Osi is not the dominant force of yesteryear. Justin Tuck must still be nursing the Week 2 shoulder injury. Mathias Kiwanuka has been mostly a non-factor in recent weeks. The defensive tackles are non-existent in the pass rush.

The run defense has been horrible. Philadelphia ran for 180 yards, including 66 and 41-yard touchdown runs. Arizona, which is a bad running team, consistently got solid runs. New Orleans did what it wanted on the ground as well as in the air. All the way back to the Dallas game the run defense was a problem. In that game the Giants gave up runs of 56, 35 and 20 yards.

Way too often, running backs are hitting the second and third level of the Giants defense without being touched.

Fred Robbins and Barry Cofield are not holding up inside. Neither is Rocky Bernard, brought in from Seattle specifically to help the run defense. Jay Alford is gone for the year.

The solution? Inside I think all the Giants can hope for is that Chris Canty can make some plays if he ever comes back healthy. That is no guarantee, though, even if the Giants are paying him $42 million. He has never been a defensive tackle, and he has missed so much time there is no way of knowing how effective he can be. In all honesty, I have never been a big Cofield fan. As for Robbins and Bernard, I am wondering if both of these mammoth guys have just gotten old.

Outside, I think the only change the Giants can make is to start getting second-round pick Clint Sintim on the line in passing situations. Sintim and Osi at the ends, with Tuck and Kiwi at the tackles is the best pass-rush group the Giants can put on the field.

Other than that, all we can hope for is that Tuck and Umenyiora get healthier, and start making the plays they are being counted on to make.

via i268.photobucket.com

The linebackers

Ah, the linebackers. Ugh! There isn't much nice to say here. Without the injured Michael Boley this is an un-athletic, un-inspiring, un-imposing group.

Danny Clark? Nice guy, great character, Tom Coughlin loves him and DC will do great things off the field once his playing days are done. On the field, though, Clark should not be a starting linebacker in the NFL. The guy is old, slow and hardly ever makes a play. Pretty much, he is just out there.

Chase Blackburn? Again, great character guy. Great special teams player. Smart, can play multiple positions and is a good tackler. But, slow, not and doesn't get off his blocks very well. Not a play-making, starting caliber linebacker.

Antonio Pierce? We knew he is smart. We know he is the 'quarterback' of the defense. We also know he is slow in pass coverage, not very imposing in the middle of the defense and has been getting abused by offenses for the past two seasons. Who do you think teams are running at over and over and over when they gash the Giants up the middle? Sorry, but AP's best football is clearly behind him.

The solution? Clearly, some personnel changes are needed here. And this is an area of the defense where the Giants DO have some options. Those begin, again, with Sintim. I know the second-round pick from Virginia has clearly missed a lot of time on the practice field due to his leg injury earlier this season. He showed in the pre-season that he is an athlete, and a playmaker. It might be time to let Sintim learn on the field, replacing Clark. Sintim will make some mistakes, but he will also make some plays against the run simply with his athleticism. Against the pass? Put him at defensive end let him do what he does best -- get after quarterbacks.

On the other side, the Giants obviously miss Boley. In the couple of games he played before going down with a knee injury, he showed athleticism and cover skills the Giants have not had in an outside linebacker for a while. He will, of course, help when he returns. Until then? Sorry, Chase, but let's get Bryan Kehl on the field and see if he can help. Again, he is more athletic and maybe he can make a difference. Maybe he can't, but it's worth a shot to find out.

In the middle? The Giants are not moving Pierce out of there, as much as some of us might like them to. Blackburn is not the answer long-term in the middle, either. If the season spirals out of control (and Lord knows I am not wishing for that) I would like to see Jonathan Goff get a chance in the middle. He was impressive in pre-season and I want to know what he can do.

By the way, Clark, Blackburn and Gerris Wilkinson are free agents after this season. This group is headed for an off-season makeover.

The secondary

We have been over the issues with this group so many times I won't belabor them. The Giants miss Kenny Phillips so much I hate to even think about it. They miss Aaron Ross because at least he would provide them with some options. Have you noticed how often the Giants are playing 'nickel' with Michael Johnson, 'Bad, Bad C.C. Brown' and 'Just as Bad Aaron Rouse' on the field together? That's three safeties on the field in obvious passing situations -- none of whom can cover. A recipe for disaster.

There are no easy solutions here, though getting Ross back in some semblance of playing condition is probably the best the Giants can hope for. At least then in some of those passing situations they can get Brown off the field.

We would all love to see Brown get his pink slip. Yesterday. There is, truthfully, no help out there right now, however. If Reese could have done better than Rouse when KP went down he would have. But, teams don't jettison players mid-season without a good reason.

Maybe the Giants bring Sha'reef Rashad or Vince Anderson off the practice squad. It sure can't hurt, but it is no guarantee to help. Those guys are on the practice squad because the Giants didn't think they were ready to play at the NFL level yet.

Mostly, we just have to hope that Brown and Rouse learn from their mistakes, and get on the same page with the rest of the secondary. Oh, and that somebody back there remembers tackling is part of the job.

The philosophy

New defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan is under fire from every direction. Blitz more, Bill!. Don't blitz so much, Bill! How come your team can't play the run, Bill? Your guys can't cover, Bill! You can't carry Steve Spagnuolo's jock strap, Bill! Hey, Bill, we would have re-hired Tim Lewis or Johnnie Lynn if we wanted to watch this crap!

I have said it before -- I won't kill Sheridan over how much he blitzes or doesn't blitz. This team was built to pressure with four. It's not happening. They aren't getting home with the blitz, either. Because they just don't have the athletes.

That, really, is the crux of it. Right now the Giants simply don't have the athletes to be a dominant defense.

That said, it would be nice if Sheridan would remind his defensive backs that making a tackle once in a while would be nice.

Final word

I truly believe that better defense would solve a lot of the other problems the Giants are having. Inconsistent offense (which we expected entering the season), erratic special teams (which seems like a Giants trademark), the occasional incomprehensible Kevin Gilbride play call (yes, they do happen) would all be much less of an issue if the Giants could simply stop somebody once in a while.

We will see if Coughlin, Sheridan and Co. can figure out a way to make that happen. If they can't, the last eight games will be torture to watch.

Giants need to ramp up the pass rush

Ed Valentine — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:41:34 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

Beginning Sunday the Giants need a whole lot more of this kind of action from Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora and the rest of the defense.

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It's all about the pass rush, stupid!

Since 2007 the ultimate successes -- and occasional failures -- of the New York Giants defense have been about one thing. Blasting quarterbacks into next week, and forcing bad throws or mistakes.

Only thus far in 2009 the Giants, despite being 5-1, have not been as successful as they need to be in harassing quarterbacks.We all know that Sunday New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees practically had enough time to open a picnic basket and have a sandwich on many throws before slicing apart the Giants' secondary.

That, however, was not the first time this season the Giants vaunted pass rush had disappeared. They have a pedestrian 14 sacks through six games, tied for 10th in the league. Eleven of those came against woeful Kansas City and Oakland. The Giants have gone sackless three times already this season.

Plain and simple, that is not good enough. Not for a line that features Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, Mathias Kiwanuka, Fred Robbins and more.

I am tired of hearing Giants defenders talk about reading keys. I am tired of hearing them talk about not doing their techniques properly. I am tired of hearing that the opposition slowed them with play-action, or max protection, or by putting up an invisible force field around their quarterback. Or whatever. I don't care.

Great defenses DICTATE TO the offense. They don't react to it. The Giants seem to have forgotten that thus far in 2009.

The key difference this season, of course, is that former defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo -- architect of the Giants pressure schemes -- has moved on to St. Louis. In his place is Bill Sheridan, hired to maintain those schemes but by nature a more cerebral guy than Spags. A thinker. A guy more prone to worry about what opposing offenses are doing instead of just attacking.

By no means am I here to rip Sheridan. Tom Coughlin believes in him. There has to be a learning curve for any new coach, as there was for Spags. Besides, General Manager Jerry Reese built this defense around a deep, awesomely talented defensive line with the idea that the Giants SHOULD be able to win the line of scrimmage and pressure the quarterback with just four. Unfortunately, that group is under-achieving thus far in 2009. And you are not going to convince me it is due to the injuries to tackles Chris Canty and Jay Alford.

So, that brings us back to creating pressure. And to Sheridan's learning curve.

Beginning Sunday against Arizona, will the Giants bring the blitz more often? Sheridan was asked about this Thursday, and his answer was simple.

"Yes."

Sheridan knows he didn't bring enough pressure last week. Hopefully, we don't see that again.

"We didn’t do a great job pressuring the quarterback. On my part - should have, would have, could have – we would have, especially at some point in the game, figured out what they were doing, that their aim is really to throw the ball on us. And we should’ve just pressured more. Not only more frequently, but send more guys than they could pick up," he said. "You are not going to pressure every single down in football. We don’t. I don’t believe in that. But in hindsight, sure, if we had it to do over again, we would pressured much more, more frequently and sent more guys than they could block."

That should be music to the ears of every quarterback sack-loving Giants fan. And, hopefully, bad news for quarterbacks.

'Kudos & Wet Willies:' How many Wet Willies can I give the defense?

Ed Valentine — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:01:26 -0000

More photos » by Bill Feig - AP

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) can only watch as New Orleans Saints safety Roman Harper (41) chases after the ball Manning just fumbled in the first half of an NFL football game between the New York Giants and New Orleans Saints in the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. The Saints recovered.

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OK, so the headline of this post gives away what I am thinking right now. At the very least, C.C. Brown is getting 'Wet Willies' for both ears.

Before I get to the full 'Kudos & Wet Willies', however, some general thoughts about Sunday's 48-27 embarrassment our New York Giants (5-1) suffered at the hands of the New Orleans Saints (5-0).

Be honest, after watching the past few games you had to at least think it was possible that Drew Brees and the Saints would do something like this to the Giants' defense. The pass rush has not been there consistently, and the secondary's stats have had more to do with the poor offenses the Giants had played against than anything special being done by the defensive backs.

Ralph Vacchiano said that Brees predicted that New Orleans would score at least 40 points on the Giants defense. Can't get mad at the guy when he's right. Shoot, the Saints could have put up 60 or more had they needed to, or wanted to. The Giants had absolutely no answers.

The Giants' offense was not perfect Sunday, either, but I am not going to waste time criticizing that unit. Eli Manning and crew had to figure out early that their defense had no chance of helping them, and there was no way the offense was going to match the Saints score-for-score, try as they might. Manning (14-for-31, one TD, one INT, one fumble) obviously did not have his best day. Offense, though, was not the problem. The Giants did move the ball, did average 5.7 yards per play and did score 27 points.

You can't win, though, when you have to score 50 just to have a chance. The Giants think, and we want to believe, they have a championship-caliber club. That won't happen, however, if they can't play better defense than that against good teams.

I am not jumping off the bridge, and I don't think you guys should either. It was just one bad game in a long season. Still, the ease with which the Saints dispatched the Giants is disturbing. Now, on with the 'Kudos & Wet Willies.'

Kudos to ...

Domenik Hixon: Welcome back to the role you are best suited for, Domenik! I know I'm not the only one, but I have been advocating Hixon's return to returning since training camp. Sunday, he showed why with seven kickoff returns for 230 yards, including 68 and 45-yard returns, and two punt returns for 51 yards. Throw in three pass receptions for 22 yards for good measure, and it was a great day for Hixon. He at least gave the Giants a chance.
Mario Manningham: Manningham had a decent game with four catches for 50 yards, and made a nice play to take an interception away from Darren Sharper and score a touchdown.
Hakeem Nicks: The No. 1 pick is developing nicely as a weapon for Manning. Five catches for 114 yards Sunday, including a 58-yard catch and run.
Ahmad Bradshaw: Ran had and well in limited opportunities, though it wasn't nearly enough to keep the Giants in the game. Bradshaw also missed a blitz pickup that led to an interception and had me debating whether or not to leave him off this list. I would give Brandon Jacobs 'kudos' to, but seven carries isn't enough to earn it. And his best play, a leaping touchdown catch in a huge crowd, was wiped out by a phantom penalty.

Now, we move on to the really brutal part of this.

Wet Willies to ...

The entire defense: Let's face it, that was an utterly embarrassing performance by a unit that calls itself one of the best in the league. They had no answers for the Saints. They could not cover receivers. They could not pressure Brees. They could not seem to get along with each other, as there were lots of 'discussions' between players who seemed not to be able to fulfill their assignments, make any plays or get the help they were expecting from other players. I will, of course, hand out plenty of individual 'Wet Willies,' but in all honesty I can't name one defensive player who actually had a good game.
C.C. Brown: So, here is next week's game plan for Kurt Warner and the Arizona Cardinals, and probably for every team the Giants play the rest of the season. Find the guy Brown is supposed to be covering, or the area he is supposed to be responsible for, and throw the ball there. Brown had a team-high 13 tackles Sunday, but that is only because it seemed like nearly every New Orleans play was designed to abuse him. In man coverage, allegedly, Brown had no chance. In zone coverage, he was repeatedly late arriving or made a bad read and went to the wrong area entirely (just ask Kevin Dockery). I said way back in training camp and pre-season that Brown is terrible in coverage. The only reason it has not been an issue until now is because of the inept offenses the Giants faced the past three weeks. I don't know if Aaron Rouse, or one of the guys on the Giants' practice squad is any better but Brown will be an issue the rest of the season.
The defensive line: In the pre-season I was asked if the Giants had put together a historically good defensive line. My question right now is more along the lines of "is this group over-rated?' One sack Sunday, and that came from linebacker Chase Blackburn. Pressure from the defensive line was totally non-existent Sunday, and if the Giants can't pressure we now see what can happen to this weakened secondary. The Giants have now had games this season when their line has been gashed with the running game, and more than one game where the pass rush from the front four has been invisible. They can't miss Chris Canty and Jay Alford that much, can they?
Bill Sheridan: The rookie defensive coordinator has gotten lots of praise thus far in 2009. When your defense looks that far overmatched, though, the coordinator has to take a hit. Sheridan could not find a way to get pressure. He could not find a way to get the Giants in coverages that worked. There were, seemingly, too many blown coverages and guys out of position. Too many lineman and linebackers looking like they were freelancing instead of playing the defense. Sean Payton made Sheridan and the Giants look defenseless, and the coordinator needs to take some of the blame.
Eli Manning: I almost feel bad giving Eli a 'Wet Willie' here. Absolute perfection from the Giants offense would probably not have been enough to win Sunday. Manning had a rough game, though, just missing a few open receivers, throwing a bad interception and coughing up a fumble that was a huge turning point. By the way, have you ever seen Eli get in a player's face the way he got after Bradshaw for the missed blitz pickup that caused the interception? He not only very obviously yelled at AB, but he grabbed him by the shoulder pads and gave him a little 'what the heck were you doing?' shove. Wow!
The officiating: I am not going to whine here, because the Giants got blown out of the Louisiana Superdome all by themselves. They would have needed a ton of help just to be in the game, like maybe being allowed to use 14-15 defenders not named C.C. Brown. But how many bad, or phantom, calls were there in that game. Pass interference on Corey Webster? Face mask on Bryan Kehl? I'm still looking for the holding call on Shaun O'Hara that negated Jacobs' touchdown catch. The officials are going to get calls wrong. The thing that bothers me is when flags get throws for things they 'think' they see. If you are an official and you aren't 'sure' you see something, you have to keep the flag in your pocket.
Me: What did I do, you ask? Well, I hate to admit that Sunday is the first time this year I failed to wear one of my Giants' shirts on a game day. I did have my Giants' winter cap on to try (unsuccessfully, I might add) to stay warm at my son's soccer game. The cap, apparently, does not carry any good luck with it.

This list could probably be a lot longer. I can't stand it anymore, though, so that's enough for now.

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The Giants have a lot to feel good about

Ed Valentine — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:45:41 -0000

More photos » by Chris O'Meara - AP

New York Giants wide receiver Steve Smith (12) celebrates with teammate Shaun O'Hara (60) after scoring a second-quarter touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 3. The giants have had a lot to celebrate thus far.

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Put aside all your worries about Eli Manning and his plantar fasciitis for just a few minutes. Or, your severe case of Lawrence Tynes Anxiety Disorder. Let's just stop and think about where our New York Giants are a quarter of the way through the 2009 NFL season.

The Giants have suffered more than their fair share of injuries in the still-young season. They have gotten little real return from the $83 million free-agent triumvirate of Chris Canty, Rocky Bernard and Michael Boley, and Boley may now be back on the shelf with a knee injury. Aaron Ross hasn't played. Budding star Kenny Phillips is gone for the year. No. 1 pick Hakeem Nicks has made just two catches. The defensive line has been good, but you get the feeling not nearly as good as it could be. On offense, you can say the same about the running game. The Giants still haven't figured out how to consistently score touchdowns in the Green Zone. Then, of course, there is Tynes.

Yet, here are the Giants at 4-0 and being considered in many quarters as the best team in football at the season's quarter-pole. Ah, yes, it is a wonderful time to be a Giants fan.

Here is a quick synopsis of the Giants from The Sporting News.

It still looks like the team Sporting News picked to win the Super Bowl, and until displaced the Giants are better than all the rest. New York's offensive and defensive lines, as expected, remain the league's premier fronts, and Steve Smith and Mario Manningham have answered their wide receiver questions.

You have to be impressed by what the Giants have accomplished thus far in 2009 despite having a somewhat depleted roster and in many ways not yet playing as well as they potentially could.

Sure, you can say the last two victories, against the Bucs and Chiefs, were against teams that are barely NFL caliber. Throw in the impressive victory in Dallas on opening night of JerryWorld, and that is three straight road victories. I don't care who they are against, that is an impressive feat in the NFL. In fact, since 1990 107 NFL teams have played three straight road games, and only eight have swept all three.

Since the beginning of the 2007 season, the Giants are 15-4 on the road. Incredible. The Giants are not they flashiest team in the league, but they are a mature team with a strong belief in themselves.

"It all starts at the top," defensive tackle Barry Cofield said. "Coach Coughlin prides himself on winning on the road. He’s so diligent, he’s so precise, he has us prepare on the road as if we were at home. It starts with him and it trickles down to the coaches and we have leadership that won’t allow us to fall asleep on the road. Honestly, we were in a similar situation last year against Cleveland. We started fast and went out there and got beat badly, so we reflected back on that and used that to guide us today."

Here is SI.com's Peter King discussing the Giants.

1. The Giants might or might not be the best team in football, but I can tell you this: They're the deepest.

"Jerry Reese is a psychic, I think,'' Justin Tuck said from Kansas City, where the Giants had ho-hummed a 27-16 win over the Chiefs. It's the second straight week New York toyed with a bad team, and the Giants have won their four games by an average of 11 points.

Reese, the Giants' GM, made two good decisions in the off season. He fortified the defensive line beyond what seemed to be smart, going seven strong players deep. "So early in camp, when we lost [defensive tackle] Jay Alford, who was going to have a breakout year, we didn't panic,'' Tuck said. "And we've been without some of our best players -- [safety] Kenny Phillips, [cornerback] Aaron Ross, [defensive lineman] Chris Canty -- and today was [corner] Kevin Dockery's first game. When we get most of our guys back, we're going to be really good.''

But that's the thing -- in the NFL, you never have a full complement of players. Or very rarely. That's why Reese built, in my opinion, the best 53-man roster in the league, and Tom Coughlin has no fear in playing young players to develop them.

On offense, Reese eschewed dealing for a veteran receiver like Anquan Boldin or Braylon Edwards, knowing that dealing for either would not only have cost a high draft choice, but also about $10 million a year. The Giants instead have a productive quarterback, Eli Manning, playing smart football and have three budding receivers -- Steve Smith (24), Mario Manningham (23) and Hakeem Nicks (20) -- who have combined for an average of 197 yards and two touchdown catches a game ... with none of the Plaxico Burress headaches that came with that star. We'll start to find out how good the Giants are Oct. 18, when they visit the Saints, with New Orleans coming off its bye. Tough place to play, at a tough time.

I admit that I am an unabashed Reese fan. Nitpick a player here or a player there, or a draft pick or two that did not make the team this year if you want. No one can be perfect with every decision. It is no accident, though, that the Giants are riding a wave that has taken them to four straight playoff appearances and a Super Bowl title, and that they are well on their way to a fifth straight playoff berth. Only a handful of teams, like New England, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis and maybe Philadelphia, can match that type of consistent success.

What the Giants do as well, if not better, than any other team in the league is replace talent with talent. In the salary cap era the way the Giants are constanntly able to fill in for injured players or guys who choose to leave with quality replacements is nothing short of amazing. The Giants have a roster, and an organization, that is the envy of teams around the league.

Of course there are always debatable decisions, and spots that could probably be improved. The perfect NFL roster has yet to be created, except maybe in a 'Madden' game.

Things are good in the land of the Giants these days, though. From what we have seen so far in 2009 they could get even better this year. On top of that, this team is set up to remain one of the league's elite squads for several seasons to come.

It is indeed a great era in Giants football history. One of the best runs in franchise history. Enjoy it!

Land of the Giants: Can we stop the talking, already?

Ed Valentine — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:09:56 -0000

I don't know about you guys, but I am ready for some football already. I am tired of the talk, which there was plenty of on Wednesday. Let's look around and discuss a lot of what was being said by and about our New York Giants.

The Giants know, of course, that teams will play run-first against them and dare their offense to prove it can succeed via the air. They are expecting that from Washington on Sunday, and practically salivating at the opportunity.

"Well, we would have to expect that to a certain extent, but it probably would be a good thing if they did that," said coach Tom Coughlin. " I think we have had some experience down the field this preseason and certainly that would be one thing that you could do to answer that."

Eli Manning also expressed confidence the Giants could make the Redskins pay for overloading their defense against the run.

"I think we have receivers who can make plays. Guys who can get down the field, guys who can break tackles and we are going to see what the defense is doing and make our adjustments. If I can get us in and out of good plays, I think we have the guys out wide who can be explosive and get down the field and do some great things," Manning said. "It’s not like to hit big plays you have to throw it fifty yards down the field, you just have to hit guys on the move and guys have got to break tackles and you have to be effective blocking up front and throwing the ball. It is a combination, we are going to have a great mix of run and pass, but we have to be able to do both well."

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Albert Haynesworth doesn't see the big deal about trying to tackle the 270-pound Brandon Jacobs. We found that out Wednesday. Well, Jacobs says isn't worrying that much about the 340-pound Haynesworth, either.

"I’m taking it as if you run into any defensive lineman in the league. He’s a human being, he walks on two feet, and he bleeds. He puts his pants on one leg at a time. I mean he is a great player, don’t get me wrong. Probably one of the most dominant players in the NFL, but there is no reason to go in there and only think about him," Jacobs said. "They have a whole defensive team and they are very good at what they do. We are just looking forward to going out and executing against them."

CB Terrell Thomas says he will start against Redskins

"The coaches already notified me that I'll be starting this week, Monday," Thomas said. "I've been preparing since the season ended last year for this day. "I'm gonna try to keep it, when 'Dock' comes back, when Ross comes back, we're going to compete and if so be it, I'll go back to nickel or special teams. I'm just trying to do whats best for the Giants."

Neither Aaron Ross nor Kevin Dockery practiced Wednesday according to various reports. Ernie Palladino says you can start worrying now about all the playing time undrafted rookie free agent Bruce Johnson is likely to get Sunday.

Johnson thankful for opportunity

Speaking of Johnson, the rookie from the University of Miami was not sure he was going to get this chance.

"I feel like I had a pretty good camp," Johnson said. "I know there are a lot of things I could have improved on, but overall I think coming in for a rookie I did pretty well."

But he still sweated out cut down day. Johnson believed he had done enough to make the team, but it's like the draft - uncertainty reigns.

"I knew when I was coming into camp there were a lot of guys in front of me; I had drafted players in front of me," Johnson said. "I knew I just had to keep working and when the cut time was coming, it's a toss up and you never know. I was basically just waiting on the phone seeing what was happening. Thank Jesus that they didn't call me.

"I was glad not to get a call. I was very fortunate and very happy. I was humbled by it, so I'm just going to keep working."

Jay Alford coming to terms with season-ending knee surgery

"For a few days, I was just really depressed," Alford said. "Asking, 'Why me?' and stuff like that. After a while, you realize there's only one way, it's only rehab after this. There's no reason to be depressed or upset about the situation. It happens, and you have to deal with it accordingly. I had to get over it, tell myself I had to get through it."

"Football is not my focus right now," Alford said. "It's getting my knee better. I don't think I can even watch it; I don't think I can watch it right now. Once I can be mobile, my focus will be football again."

Kirwan: Eli has enough receiver options

Pat Kirwan of NFL.com has seen enough that he isn't worrying about the Giants wide receivers. That makes one supposed 'expert' who isn't.

The Giants didn't play very well in their pass offense after Plaxico Burress shot himself last year. The team didn't address its receiving issues in free agency but did use the draft in an attempt to replace Burress. Some observers thought it was a tactical error not to go get a veteran receiver. I think the Giants got it right. Rookies Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden and returning veterans are going to put the Giants' passing game back in a very solid position. There might be some bumps in the road early but after watching Nicks practice I am encouraged by the Giants' plan for the passing game. Ultimately, however, time will tell.

Diehl ready to get started

Giants' left tackle David Diehl updated his blog Wednesday with some thoughts on the opening of the 2009 season.

When it’s over, no one describes your season by how you did in training camp or preseason, it’s all about what you did in the regular season. It is what gives you an opportunity to get to the playoffs and to win the Super Bowl. It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon. You have to go out there each and every week for a 16-game stretch and do whatever you can to be in the best position to make a run at the Super Bowl.

That’s what we’re all playing for and it starts now.

25 things you didn’t know about the Giants

This is a really fun read from Newsday's Tom Rock. He gets Giants players to reveal things about themselves that you never even knew you wanted to know.

The Linc - The end for Reggie and AJ?

JasonB — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 15:08:06 -0000

by AJ Mast - AP

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PhillyBurbs.com: Eagles have a new problem at wide receiver
With one preseason game left and final cuts approaching on Saturday, the Eagles find themselves in an unusual spot. A team that for much of this decade never had quite enough receiving talent now has too much.

Birds' Brown Hanging on the Roster Bubble
Two years ago at this time, Reggie Brown was supposed to be on the cusp of stardom. Two years ago, Brown was entering his third NFL season.

Ex-Cowboy Curtis no longer at Witten’s end - The Delaware County Daily Times : Serving Delaware County, PA(DelcoTimes.com)
"I didn’t catch a lot of balls because they didn’t throw me a lot of balls in Dallas," Curtis said at least four or five times as wave after wave of media connected after the game. "I filled a role in Dallas. They needed me to come in and block on certain plays and maybe get a couple of passes here and there. But Jason Witten was the main guy, so he was getting all the balls. I feel like there’s more opportunity there. But whatever team I’m on, I’m going to do whatever I can to help them."

These Eagles will probably not make the cut today -- themorningcall.com
Today is an anxious day for 19 Philadelphia Eagles players. That's because the Eagles will join 31 other NFL teams in cutting their roster to the maximum 53 players by the 6 p.m. deadline.

Eagles cut three; Feeley New England bound? | Philadelphia Inquirer | 09/04/2009
New England, meanwhile, continued to fuel the speculation that they are interested in Eagles quarterback A.J. Feeley by releasing quarterback Andrew Walter. That leaves rookie Brad Hoyer as the backup to Tom Brady. It also leaves the Patriots with two quarterbacks on their roster.

More after the jump including news on a Giants player lost for the season, Didinger's "a game I'll never forget," A report from deep within the swamps of north jersey...

Alford out for season - Big Blue View
New York Giants backup defensive tackle Jay Alford will miss the season with a knee injury.

Didinger's Game I'll Never Forget: The Miracle...
The Eagles vs. Giants in November 1978 will forever be remembered for "The Miracle at the Meadowlands" play.

Iggles Blog - Philadelphia Eagles Blog: Friday Eagles Hangover: Not Bad For The Fourth Preseason Game
A report from deep within the swamps of north jersey...

Land of the Giants: Nicks is feeling fine

Ed Valentine — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:00:13 -0000

As I mentioned Monday evening, the work done by No. 1 pick Hakeem Nicks in the afternoon session had everyone buzzing. Well, Giants.com managed to catch up with Nicks after practice.

"It was fun," he said. "Every day is fun, this is football. A lot earlier in the practices, the hamstring (injury) came and that was a setback. It's just a football injury, but it was a lot to think about. I was thinking too much at the beginning and now I feel like I'm playing within the team and within the system and playing my game.

"I know what I'm doing and I'm good with the sight adjustments. I'm good on every play now, so I am just me out there now. It's a lot off me now; I feel like I can play within the team and just contribute the best way possible."

"I wouldn't say that I had been frustrated, because I knew that it was going to come sooner or later," Nicks said. "It's just a matter of me getting comfortable. The hamstring set me back awhile and I just had to work my way back. It affected me on the depth chart and I got mental reps, but I couldn't do it physically so therefore the plays weren't really sticking with me. They were moving a lot faster and I'm a type to learn by getting reps. It was just a matter of me being patient and waiting until this passed by and the man upstairs has got a plan for me. Now I feel like I'm right where I need to be, so I'm ready to go."

Quarterback Andre Woodson could not believe the catch Nicks made when Woodson tossed him a fade route in the end zone.

"Oh man, remarkable catch," Woodson said. "That was amazing. I think that shows right there why he was the first pick for us in the first round. He has a lot of potential, he really does. The big thing for him is learning the playbook, finding the hot (reads) and adjustments and he'll be fine. But he's pretty nice to watch. To see him go up there one-handed and the defensive back really doesn't know where the ball is, he just did a wonderful job of going up there and getting it at its highest point."

Plaxico Burress has spoken for the first time about what happened the night he shot himself. Ralph Vacchiano has the sad details.

"It wasn’t like I was trying to hide (the gun) or go into this place and go through security," Burress said. "They knew I had it, they pat me down and they said OK. They let me in, with it.

"I’m there for maybe five minutes. It was getting so crowded, everybody coming over, so the VIPs, they said ‘I’ll take you upstairs so you can relax and no one will bother you.’ I’m walking up the stairs and I miss a step, and my gun slides down my pants. So, it’s getting ready to hit the ground. I don’t want it to hit the ground, when it slides down my jeans, and I go to stop it from hitting the ground.

"I don’t think you could do it a million times. Through your pants you can try to stop it from hitting the ground and my finger hit right on the trigger. What are the odds in that happening?"

The offensive line has been the foundation of the Giants' offense the past several seasons. Yahoo! Sports is wondering if that foundation is beginning to crack.

There are signs that indicate the group is faltering.

For instance, left tackle David Diehl, a more natural guard, has held on to the position for two seasons because the Giants like to run the ball, and he is nothing if not a world-class road-grader as a run-blocker. But he lacks quick feet and a sense of awareness of the on-rushing defensive end to be a truly proficient left tackle. Despite the team’s denials, there has been effort to find one.

The right tackle, Kareem McKenzie, is an "old" 30, a man troubled by recurring back spasms. Whether he lasts the entire season is argumentative, but even more disturbing is the fact that there isn’t much depth behind the two tackles.

We have talked a lot about how jittery backup quarterback David Carr has been throughout training camp. Well, when asked about him Monday quarterbacks coach Chris Palmer was unusually candid in his assessment of Carr's camp performance.

I’m not pleased with David right now. I think he’s got to be more consistent. He’s a quarterback, he’s got to prove he’s a winning quarterback and I think there are certain things that he has to improve on, and I’ve told him that. He has the ability to play in this league, he’s a very, very talented player, but he’s got to do the things the way we want them done.

Zak DeOssie will now handle all of the special teams snapping duties with Jay Alford injured. DeOssie told the Star-Ledger's Jenny Vrentas that he expects a 'smooth transition.'

"There was some question there whether or not I was going to do it or Jay, because Jay is a really good D-tackle" DeOssie said. "But now the decision is easy for the coaches because unfortunately Jay got hurt, and I've got to step in there."

DeOssie did both snaps at Brown. He also got experience at the pro level during February's Pro Bowl, when he was selected as the NFC's "need" player to short snap for John Carney's field goals/extra points and long snap for Jeff Feagles' punts.

DeOssie is right-handed, while Alford is left-handed, but Feagles -- who is the holder for field goals -- said that just changes the spin on the ball. Feagles is used to that spin from DeOssie's snaps on punts. The only other difference is that DeOssie (6-4, 249) is smaller than Alford (6-3, 304), which can easily be adjusted for.

"He's not as big as Jay, but he's certainly as good as Jay," Feagles said. "We just have to give him a little bit more protection in the middle because of his size. But that shouldn't be a problem. As far as our operation and stuff goes, we've been working pretty diligently with both of them."

DeOssie has practiced short snaps daily for the past two seasons in case Alford got injured. Feagles said center Shaun O'Hara is the emergency snapper, and tight end Lee Vickers has also been working as a backup to DeOssie on the punt unit.

"I'm sure it will be a smooth transition," DeOssie said. "We won't miss a step."

Where have all the linemen gone?

Ed Valentine — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 11:00:33 -0000

Chris Canty (via assets.nydailynews.com)

I was on the radio Saturday morning, as I was invited to talk about our New York Giants on 'GameFace,' (www.espn940.com). I bring this up not to toot my own horn -- though that doesn't hurt -- but, rather, because of one of the questions I was asked.

My answer was that it was way too soon to begin discussing that stuff. Today, barely two days later, that question seems downright silly.

Remember that five-man rotation the Giants were supposed to have at defensive tackle? Well, now Jay Alford's season might be over. Chris Canty has a torn hamstring and there is no word on when he might be able to play. Fred Robbins played a few snaps on Saturday, but he is working his way back from micro-fracture surgery and is nowhere near being ready to be counted on for a large number of snaps. Rocky Bernard has only practiced for a couple of days and is still very limited. The only reasonably healthy member of the defensive line the Giants thought they would have is Barry Cofield, and he also had knee surgery in the off-season.

Heap on top of all that injuries to Antonio Pierce, Kenny Phillips and Aaron Ross, and the injury/suspension of Michael Boley. Of those four only Ross -- in a limited way -- is expected on the field today at UAlbany for the second-last practice of training camp.

Suddenly, the whipping the Giants took up front Saturday against Chicago doesn't really look all that surprising.

"Until we get this thing straightened around with everybody on the field, this rotation and this depth that we are talking about really is a non-factor right now. We need people practicing and we need to be able to accomplish that," coach Tom Coughlin said Sunday. "I just think that for so long we have been (hearing) that we have so much depth. I don’t know what you are watching, but the guys who are supposed to be the depth have hardly even practiced. Some haven’t practiced, some haven’t played. I think you are talking about something that looks good, but hasn’t really materialized."

There are areas of concern just like there are on every team. But I think you have to earn that is said about you. What we believe in is that talk is cheap, let’s do it on the field. It has been very spotty on the field, so obviously it is time to get to work and get this the way we want it to be, for people to come to grips with the reality and be serious about making these corrections and then go out against a good football team and accomplish that and see if we can get it done on the field"
I just think that for so long we have been (hearing) that we have so much depth. I don’t know what you are watching, but the guys who are supposed to be the depth have hardly even practiced. Some haven’t practiced, some haven’t played. I think you are talking about something that looks good, but hasn’t really materialized."

Fred Robbins (via blog.nj.com)

Saturday against the New York Jets you will likely be watching guys named Anthony Bryant, Leger Douzable and Jeremy Clark take a lot of snaps.

Yes, there is time before the September 13 opener against Washington. Time for Robbins and Bernard to round into shape. Maybe time for Canty to get healthy. Maybe time for Alford to discover his knee isn't as bad as we think it is.

This is not, however, the start the Giants had in mind when they collected all of this defensive talent.

Alford's knee injury a bad one

Ed Valentine — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:07:17 -0000

From Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News:

Defensive tackle Jay Alford, who was carted off the field in the Giants’ loss to the Bears last night, has been diagnosed with a torn MCL and a partial tear of his ACL. His season is most definitely in jeopardy, though the Giants may not make that determination for another two weeks.

According to a team spokesman, Alford - - who is also the team’s long-snapper on field goals - - was examined in Manhattan today by Dr. Russell Warren, the Giants’ team physician. In Chicago, Alford had initially been diagnosed with a left knee "sprain," but Dr. Warren discovered the two torn ligaments.

The plan, according to the spokesman is for Alford "to strengthen and rehab the knee for approximately two weeks." After that, the Giants will "make a determination on the severity of the ACL damage."

Well, that makes a bad Saturday night even worse. This really stinks for Alford, who was playing the best football of his Giants' career.

A conversation with Mike Garafolo, Part I

Ed Valentine — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 11:00:19 -0000

Way back at the beginning of New York Giants training camp I asked Mike Garafolo of the Star-Ledger if he would sit down and do a Q&A type conversation with me. After lunch on Thursday, we finally got around to having that little chat.

Sitting on the steps of the UAlbany Colonial Quad just outside the dining hall we talked about Plaxico Burress, the Giants, the blogosphere and some other stuff. That is, in between Mike having to stop to do what I believe was a radio bit and us having to dodge various media types and Giants officials -- and one stray janitor -- meandering up and down the staircase.

Anyway, here is the result of our conversation. I have transcribed it almost exactly as it took place, simply as a conversation. I hope that comes across. I chose not to upload the audio since I don't want MG getting any heat from his bosses. It will run in two parts simply because, as I got into it, I realized we covered a lot of territory in the 10 minutes or so that we talked.

Ed: So, let start with today's news. Get that out of the way. Your reaction to the Plaxico news today?

Mike: As it pertains to the team, or just my reaction?

Ed: Yours, personally.

Mike: It's tough because I know the guy pretty well and it's funny, everybody says that they're surprised at how personable he is, how thoughtful he is and I agree with that. But, there is no excusing what he did. Covering him you come to the realization he's got deep-rooted issues, authority issues, trust issues that he's had for years just because of how he grew up. I think they kinda came to a head. He's gotta deal with those now, and the way it went down you just hope that he's learned his lesson and that he's able to deal with these issues. I'll tell you this. I've covered guys before that tell me that 'I never carry a gun. My guys around me that I've known since I was a kid, they want to carry a gun that's fine. But, something goes down 'hey, I didn't have it on me.' He would never be that guy because he could never trust anybody to do that. I'm not saying by the way that I'm recommending that. What I'm saying is that when you don't have that kind of trust and you can't trust a club to provide its own security, all that kind of stuff you carry a gun yourself these are the consequences.

Ed: Right. It's interesting. I talked to Jason Cole about him about a year ago and he basically said the same thing ... he's got deep-rooted trust and security issues.

Mike: Yeah, Jason got to know him well because of the book he got to write with him, and got to really see those and explore those. So, yeah, that doesn't surprise me.

Ed: So, let's turn the page. Let's talk about this camp. You know I've been here quite a bit, not as much as you have. To me the two most impressive rookies that I've seen out here are Clint Sintim and Ramses Barden. Agree? Disagree? Thoughts?

Mike: Let me go through the list of rookies and make sure nobody else has stood out ... I do agree with that. I do agree with that. And to be honest we haven't seen enough of Sintim as a pass rusher in camp. We didn't get to see that until the game, and he showed you that with limited time working at end and working on technique he was still able to get after the quarterback.

Ed: Looks like something he just does naturally.

Mike: It's exactly what it is. I talked to a couple of people around the team and they think that he's got so much natural pass ability they'll work on technique, they'll work on little moves here and there. But, the one thing I'm hearing is that they don't want to do too much with him. They'll teach him the little tricks here and there, but you don't want to get him thinking about the technical aspects of it, at least not early on. You want him to just get in there, use his speed, use the moves that come naturally to him, which is that quick rip that he showed the other night ... the club and rip, and just not try and do too much and slow himself down.

Ed: And learn to play linebacker at the same time.

Mike: Well, that's the same thing. He's learning to play linebacker ... a different kind of linebacker, because he's playing a little bit off the ball than he did in college so you don't want to confuse that with what he's learning as a pass rusher.

(At this point Mike had to take a phone call. When he finished we resumed our chat).

Ed: So ... we talked about the rookies a little bit. Umm ... anything or anyone else here in camp that's really surprised you?

Mike: Derek Hagan. I still want to see more when the lights go on. Umm ... because I thought in the game that he was going to play a bigger role, and it wound up that he didn't, but, you know he was -- I don't want to say the forgotten man. When we had access to them in the spring he didn't have a monster spring so you just kind of though well, you know what, he's just kind of hanging on here and he's not gonna make it through. But when he showed up here he started to make plays, he started to go up and get balls when he was wrestling a defender he was coming away with it and showing his speed, showing his leaping ability. It reminds you, OK, that's right he's got third-round talent. That's why he was drafted in the third round. That's been the big surprise there.

I want to give you one on the other side of the ball. Let me think about that ... Jay Alford I'd say has been a surprise, a pleasant surprise. Another guy that maybe we counted out a little too early as soon as they signed Rocky Bernard and Chris Canty. But, honestly, Jay I talked to him early in camp and he said he thought the same thing and he wanted to kinda go and talk to the general manager, talk to the front office and say 'hey, what's going on here?' but realized that you can't do that. He's been impressive, he's been in the backfield. He worked with Osi this off-season about jumping the snap count and that kind of stuff. He's been a pleasant suprise, he's a guy that actually translated it to the game because he was in the backfield in the game as well.

Ed: You mentioned Hagan. That also leads me to David Tyree. Umm ... you know people keep asking me on my site if Tyree can actually make this team. In a way it's the same for Hagan. I keep going over it and over it and I can't really see how the numbers will work out for either one of them.

Mike: Yeah, it's gonna come down to whether or not they keep seven for those guys, I think. Tyree's shot is on special teams, no question. If they really can't find enough special teams help elsewhere then he's gonna have to be the guy they hang onto, but to be honest I think that they've drafted with special teams in mind over the last couple of years and Terrell Thomas is a guy that we saw as a gunner last year. Did a tremendous job, made a play in the Eagles game saving the ball and keeping it in at the 1-yard line. So, that hurts Tyree's chances. Much as I think he's been under-used as a receiver here I think his biggest value is on special teams. I don't think you need to hold onto him for that when you have needs elsewhere at that position.

Ed: Right. Certainly, if he makes this team he's the last receiver on the list.

[NOTE: Part II Saturday morning. We will discuss the growth of non-traditional media, and whether or not this will be the last time the Giants hold camp in Albany.]