SB Nation - Chase Blackburn

Ernie P. is in the house

Ed Valentine — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:00:14 -0000

Lots to talk about with Ernie Palladino this week. Our common set of questions this time around deal with Eli Manning, Antonio Pierce's successor and the New York Giants' playoff chances.

As usual, Ernie's answers are below. Mine can be found over at Ernie's Giants Beat.

1. Eli Manning said the Giants have had a few team meetings in recent weeks. Do you think these things are overrated?

Ernie's Answer: Judging by the results they've had lately, yeah, hugely. But I'm really being more sarcastic than serious there. Seriously, uh, yeah, I still think they're overrated. It's funny that you only hear about these things when a team wins. Somehow, a team leader gets up there and reminds his guys that, "Hey, we've lost 11 of the last 12, and that's kind of sucky," and his guys get all charged up and go out and kill somebody. I think, in the long run, they're okay to have. But the value just isn't there unless it shows up on the field, immediately. If I was a Giants player right now, I'd rely less on Justin Tuck or Eli or anybody else orating in the middle of the room and more on my own study habits and work ethic. So, yeah, I think they're overrated.

2. Now that Antonio Pierce is on the IR, do you think his Giants career is done, and who will man the MLB spot next season?

Ernie's Answer: Boy. Tough question. In my heart, I'd love to see Chase Blackburn there. He's a tough, gritty kid who'll do just about anything for playing time. No dummy, either. But he's not what you'd call a dynamic player. Since we won't know anything about Jonathan Goff until he makes his first start Sunday, we have to eliminate him for now. So my head is telling me that next year's starting middle linebacker isn't on the team yet. It won't be a rookie -- the way Jerry Reese drafts linebackers, that'd be a hell of a reach -- but there surely will be somebody on the free agent market able to play the middle. Unless the NFL comes to an agreement with the players association on a new contract, 2010 will be an uncapped year. So the Giants had better put aside a lot of money if a quality guy comes loose, because he'll probably be the starter in the middle.

3. Do you believe Manning when he says the newly-discovered "stress reaction" in his right foot is not bothering him, and why?

Ernie's Answer: Yes, I do. Oh, I'm sure there's some pain there and all. But look at it this way. They discovered this thing around the week of the bye. He's practiced through it, and he's played through it. More than that, he played San Diego and Atlanta with it, and executed the offense in two very different manners. Against San Diego, he was able to step into his short throws and put them on a line to his receivers. Against Atlanta, he got off a bunch of big passes without apparently favoring the foot. And in both cases, he either moved in the pocket to buy time or outright scrambled away from pressure. He didn't look like a hurting quarterback to me. Let's just not talk about Denver, where he was given little chance to do anything. It hurt just watching that game, let alone playing in it. But that goes for everybody on that team. I'm just not convinced that his foot is so bad that he can't operate.

4. We'll ask the question again. Can this team make the playoffs?

Ernie's Answer: Yes. But that's not saying they will. They have to pull themselves together first, and I'm not sure that can happen with their current injury situation. The defensive and offensive lines have to find whatever they've lacked the last six games, and they need a middle defense. But if they can find that, and beat Dallas and Philadelphia to get to 8-5, then anything is possible. I say that because neither Dallas, Philly, or any of the wildcard candidates have convinced me they're going to run away and hide from anybody. You think Dallas isn't capable of going into a slide? Philadelphia, who lost to Oakland earlier this year? Certainly Green Bay can take a few losses. And the Giants already have a tiebreaker advantage over Atlanta. So, sure, it can happen. But the Giants need to fix up their own house first, and at this point that's kind of like turning an outhouse into a mansion. Not an easy job.

(E-mail Ed at bigblueview@gmail.com)

New York Giants Notebook: 12-3-09

Jim Schmiedeberg — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 12:00:21 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

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Good Morning Giants fans, let's take a look at the stories making the headlines for the Giants today:

Michael Boley has joined the injury report with a sore back. (NY Times)

In meeting with the media yesterday, Tom Coughlin talked about what it will take for the Giants to get their confidence back:

Confidence comes with persistence, difficulty, repetition, and finally with success. I think we will do everything we can to put ourselves in that frame of mind this week. We practiced well on Monday, quite well to be honest with you. I don’t have an awful lot to complain about with the way in which we practice. We just have to make some things happen on the field to go ahead and substantiate it, and that’s how you build confidence.

When Eli spoke to the media yesterday, he lied to them when asked about the Giants psyche:

I think the psyche is fine. We’ve got to know that this is the same team that started 5-0. You look at it offensively, it is the same guys that started the first game who are in the huddle. We have the ability and the talent to go out there and play great football and win games. We’ve got to expect that from ourselves. There is no reason not to just because you go through a little stretch where you are not playing your best. It is still the same guys, it’s still the same team that got off to a great start, the same team that beat this team in Dallas in front of 105,000 people. We’ve just got to go out there and have confidence in ourselves, know that we can go out there and play great. We’ve just got to do it.

I couldn't disagree more. After the beatings at the hands of the Saints and Eagles, this team has become a shell of itself.

Ernie Palladino's Giants Beat: Goff Starting

It looks like Tom Coughlin has decided to see what young Jonathan Goff can do at middle linebacker. He took all the first-unit snaps today ahead of Chase Blackburn, which means he's been moved to starter. They let Blackburn know of the move Monday, and as you'll see, the feisty backer has accepted it. Now it's up to Goff, the Giants' fifth-rounder last season, to see if he can offer suitable replacement value for Antonio Pierce.

More after the jump...........

James takes a verbal jab at Giants | Dallas Cowboys | Star-Telegram.com

"I know what I’m supposed to say," James said as media gathered around his locker, "but I’m going to deviate a little bit. We don’t like them; they don’t like us. It’s no way of getting around that. "People have been saying this is their season -- what they’re playing for. This is our season too. Because we go in and we beat these guys, we don’t really have to worry about them coming back to haunt us." James said that after the Giants defeated the Cowboys in September, Giants players wrote messages on the wall of the visiting locker room. He said that New York quarterback Eli Manning wrote the final score of the game. "Those guys are in there writing on the wall after the game, after they won. They like to keep it full of drama. For us, we’ve got to go out there and just win. I don’t care how we do it. I don’t care if it’s by 30 or a point. We just need to take care of business and get rid of these guys right now."

They wouldn't be the Cowboys if they weren't running their mouth.

Does anyone have O.J. Anderson's phone number? The Giants look to be short at RB going into Sunday's game with Dallas. (Pro Football Talk)

Wade Phillips doesn't think he gets enough respect. (AP)

What do the Giants do now? Ideas for salvaging the season

Ed Valentine — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:00:19 -0000

OK, gang. We have spent the past few days commiserating about the problems our 6-5 New York Giants are having. The hated Dallas Cowboys come to East Rutherford this week, so it is time to turn the page and look forward.

The Giants MUST (is there anything bigger than capital letters for emphasis?) win this game if they hope to salvage the season. So, the question is, what -- if anything -- can be done over the next five games to get this team going again?

First and foremost, say your prayers for Eli's foot. If he goes down to a stress fracture, find something else to do with your Sunday afternoons. I doubt the Giants will be watchable.

Anyway, here are my thoughts on what the Giants can do in an effort to salvage the season.

Run Brandon, run! -- As we discussed Sunday, this is an obvious one. He probably isn't running as well as he did the past couple of years. And we know the line isn't blocking as well. But, the Giants have to have balance. And they have to let Jacobs try to wear defenses down. He is the guy opposing defensive players fear, and when the Giants don't make full use of him they do the defense a favor.
Turn the kids loose, Tom -- Rookies make mistakes, and coaches of contending teams don't like to play them if they have a choice. Giants coach Tom Coughlin is hardly alone there. But the season has reached a point where it has become pretty obvious that the Giants aren't really contenders. And that there are certain veterans whose warranty has expired. So, let the kids play.

-- Activate Ramses Barden -- Sure, wide receiver isn't really an issue. But, the Green Zone still is. And, yes, that probably means de-activating Derek Hagan, an idea which I hate. But, you know what? The coverage teams stink with Hagan, who might be the team's best cover guy. For now, they can stink without him. It's time to start finding out about Barden.

-- Same for Travis Beckum -- Every snap that Darcy Johnson is on the field is really a wasted play as far as the future of the Giants. He really is not a good blocker, so if it's a blocking situation use an extra offensive lineman. If it's a passing situation, get Beckum on the field. He will never turn into a weapon standing on the sidelines, and you know by now that Johnson is pretty much just taking up roster space.

-- Start William Beatty at right tackle. Maybe he is the future left tackle, we don't know that yet. But, continuing to play Kareem McKenzie at right tackle is going to get Eli Manning killed, Or David Carr, if Eli's 'stress reaction' turns into a fracture. It's pretty obvious that McKenzie is a pass-blocking liability, so get Beatty on the field full-time and let him begin to learn. At least you know that if he gets beat he will learn and get better.

-- More Clint Sintim. I have to qualify this one. I know that the Giants started getting Sintim more action several weeks ago. I also know that Antonio Pierce's injury has made playing Sintim difficult. Sintim admitted recently that he was relying on AP to get him lined up and to make sure he understood what his responsibilities were, and I'd be lying if I said it didn't bother me that Sintim still needed help figuring out how to line up. But, it's really obvious that Danny Clark won't be a Giant next year, and that Clark's lack of athleticism hurts this defense. Let Sintiim make his mistakes now, in a season thatr appears to be quickly going down the drain, so that he can become the play maker we all want in 2010.

-- Give Jonathan Goff a chance -- We have seen one good game and one bad one from Chase Blackburn filling in at middle linebacker for Antonio Pierce. Blackburn is smart, and I love the guy. I'm not sure he is athletic enough, or physical enough, to be the long-term answer in the middle, though. We know Pierce needs to be replaced, quite possibly next season. Get Goff on the field enough to find out if the kid can play.
More Kiwi, less Osi. A lot less Osi -- If any Giants fan out there still thinks Osi Umenyiora is a great defensive end, all I can say is this. You are thinking with your heart, not your eyes or your brain. Osi is an atrocious run defender, and at this point in his career only a so-so pass rusher. He makes one great play every couple of games, that's about it. Mathias Kiwanuka played right defensive end all of 2008, and did a better job than Osi is doing this season. Especially against the run. Every offensive coordinator in the league knows at this point that if you need a couple of yards against the Giants, running right at Osi is the way to get it.

One more thing. How about no more Chris Canty at defensive end? The Giants are paying him $42 million to clog the middle, which he can't do playing right defensive end when Osi isn't there. What the heck is he doing out there? Get him in the middle where he is supposed to be, and let Kiwanuka play defensive end.
Boot Bill Sheridan upstairs. I know many of you would have been happy if I stopped at 'Boot Bill Sheridan.' That is not going to happen during the season, though, so I'm not even going to go there. Sheridan, though, obviously is not effective from the sideline. He is undoubtedly not a motivator. And, he can't seem to get a feel for calling the game, since so many of his calls seem to wind up leaving the Giants vulnerable. So, kick him upstairs where we know he originally wanted to be and see if he can do a better job from up there. If that doesn't work, well, then I think we know what needs to be done.

That's about all I have for now. I am curious to hear your ideas for the rest of the season. And, please, keep it to how to salvage the next five games. We have months to discuss the draft and what to do next season. It's not time to tackle that yet.

Bonus Giants notes: Boley, Pierce, Blackburn

Ed Valentine — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:44:52 -0000

Since it is almost Thanksgiving, and I am seemingly in a giving mood, here are a handful of leftover New York Giants notes for your Wednesday afternoon.

Antonio Pierce is in Los Angeles to get a second opinion on the bulging disc in his neck. I can't imagine that is because he distrusts the Giants doctors. I don't blame him for seeking more information -- this type of injury could be one that threatens his career.
Mathias Kiwanuka has a great, very comforting, quote recently about Chase Blackburn.

"He’s probably one of the most underrated players in the league," Kiwanuka said. "Yeah, obviously we miss having Antonio out there. He’s a great leader and a big part of this team. But Chase Blackburn studies. He knows every position on the field. He probably knows every special-teams position as well. We have full confidence in him."
Patricia Traina has a great piece on backup linebacker Bryan Kehl's work as a Mormon missionary. It's great stuff, and it also left me thinking it's no wonder that Kehl's biggest weakness as a football player seems to be lack of on-field aggression. It's just not part of his nature.
Michael Boley was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week.
No cheerleader photo tomorrow. Kind of inappropriate on Thanksgiving, I think. If you must have a helping of Denver Bronco cheerleaders, though, I know where you can find one.

'Kudos & Wet Willies:' Finally, Giants have a happy Monday

Ed Valentine — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:00:16 -0000

by Bill Kostroun - AP

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) celebrates with center Shaun O'Hara (60) after throwing a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009, in East Rutherford, N.J. The Giants won in overtime, 34-31.

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It often wasn't pretty. It definitely wasn't perfect. But, Sunday's 34-31 overtime victory over the Atlanta Falcons was Big Blue's first 'W' in 42 days. 'Kudos' for that. The Giants are 6-4, and have assured themselves that they will continue to be a serious player in the playoff race.

For now, that's all that matters. Read on for this week's 'Kudos & Wet Willies.'

Kudos to ...

Eli Manning: I can't believe this was Manning's first 300-yard passing game at Giants Stadium. But, whatever. It came at a great time. I didn't feel so good about Eli early when he threw that interception and was doing a lot of running for his life. Manning, though, settled in and threw the ball beautifully much of the game. He went 25-for-39 for a career-high 384 yards with three touchdowns (a 111.5 QB rating). Many of those throws were perfectly placed balls squeezed into small spaces. In truth, it is as well as I can remember seeing Eli throw the ball.
MarioSmithHakeemManninghamSteveNicks: Yeah, that's a mess to read -- and to say. I am lumping all three young wide receivers in together, though, because the were all outstanding. And they have become a three-headed monster that teams around the NFL are going to have to deal with for a loooong time. So, yeah, forget all that stuff about the Giants not having any playmakers at the receiver position. They have plenty. Mario Manningham was tremendous, with six catches for 126 yards, including a beautiful 29-yarder in overtime to set up the game-winning field goal. Steve Smith (4 catches, 79 yards) was his usual reliable self AND busted loose for a 51-yard completion -- the missing link in his ascension to stardom. Hakeem Nicks (5 catches, 65 yards) is an absolute stud, who runs nice routes and has terrific hands.
Kevin Boss: We have been waiting ... and waiting .... and waiting for the Bossman to become a primary target in the passing game. Well, Sunday that day arrived. Boss was the answer in the Green Zone, with two touchdown catches. He finished with five catches for a career-best 76 yards, as well. I hope we continue to see more of that.
Michael Boley: You know this game meant a lot to Boley, who left the Falcons last season after unceremoniously being removed from the starting lineup. Sunday Boley showed the Falcons what they gave up, playing his best game as a Giant. In fact, maybe the best game by a Giants outside linebacker in a long time. He finished with 13 tackles and a sack. It also looked to me like Boley was filling some of that emtional leadership void left by the injury to Antonio Pierce.
OsiTuckJustinUmenyiora: Like with the wide receivers, I am lumping the two bookends of the Giants defensive line together. Tuck had a huge game with four tackles, a sack, a fumble recovery and a near interception the one time he dropped into pass coverage. Umenyiora had just one tackle and a fumble recovery, but I thought he was active and made Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan uncomfortable a number of times.
Corey Webster: Webster was all over Roddy White most of the game. He had the kind of game this week we had hoped he would have two weeks ago against San Diego's Vincent Jackson. CW ended up with five -- yes, five -- passes defensed. What I can't figure out is why the Falcons kept testing him.
Aaron Rouse: Nine tackles, including one huge run stop for a loss, and a pass defensed. A debatable penalty for a late hit, sure, but I thought Rouse played well. To this point, he has been a huge upgrade over 'Bad, Bad C.C. Brown.'
Chase Blackburn: Once again proved his value by playing very well in place of Pierce. It's just one game, but so far, so good.
Barry Cofield: It's a good thing Cofield (5 tackles) played probably his best game of the season. The other defensive tackles did pretty much nothing.
Madison Hedgecock: The guy caught a touchdown pass. Shoot, when a fullback gets one of those you have to give him something. A 'Kudos' is the best I can do.

There are probably a handful of other guys who deserve 'Kudos,' but I think that's probably most of them. Let's get on to the bad stuff.

Wet Willies to ...

Defensive tackles not named Cofield: I thought Chris Canty, Rocky Bernard and Fred Robbins were pretty much invisible. Bernard and Robbins might be in the process of playing themselves into different uniforms next season.
Bruce Johnson: The rookie cornerback has been pretty good all season. He got picked on time and time again Sunday, though. On top of that, he had a silly holding penalty that helped Atlanta score a third-quarter touchdown.
The Giants offensive line: I think we have to face the reality that this unit is not the dominant group we watched the past couple of seasons. The names are the same, but the results aren't. They eventually got the pass protection straightened out and Manning was sacked only once, but he spent much of the first half running for his life. And the run-blocking was very sporadic, which shows in the 26-carry, 88-yard (3.4 yards per carry) day the running backs had. The inability to run-block in the Green Zone is still a huge problem. It looks like General Manager Jerry Reese needs to start thinking about some changes to this group for 2010.

Kwillies to ...

A 'Kwillie,' for the uneducated, is a special award that goes to a player who did his level best to keep both teams in the game. I can only think of one Sunday, and he deserves special mention.

Lawrence Tynes: Nailed the game-winner. As he always seems to, he made life harder on the Giants than it had to. But, in the end he got the job done.

One more thing

I didn't quite have a category for the Giants' fourth-quarter defense. That group played well for much of the game, showing energy, generating pressure and covering well.

For the second week in a row, though, they could not get a stop late in the game when they needed one. Some of you want to crucify defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan for that, but I don't. I thought Sheridan tried to stay aggressive with some blitzing, always sending at least four when he did not blitz and not sitting in anything remotely resembling a 'prevent' type defense. At crunch time, though, no one on the defense could step up and make a play. Tony Gonzalez simply made the kind of play at the end of the game that a Hall of Fame tight end makes. And the kind of play no one on the Giants defense seems able to step up and make when it matters.

All in all, though, it's a win. I will take it. Now, it's on to Denver to see if the Giants can get on a roll again.

Final - 11.22.2009	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Atlanta Falcons	0	7	10	14	0	31
New York Giants	3	14	7	7	3	34

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Giants vs. Falcons: 'Kudos & Wet Willies' style preview

Ed Valentine — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 12:15:09 -0000

OK, time to get serious. Our New York Giants need a win today against the Atlanta Falcons. In my usual, 'Kudos & Wet Willies' style here is how I see things breaking down this afternoon in the Meadowlands.

There will be lots of 'Kudos' Monday if ...

They overcome the loss of Antonio Pierce's defensive 'quarterbacking.' Say what you want about Pierce and his apparently declining physical skills, losing your defensive signal-caller and a player as smart as AP at this point in the season could be devastating. We love Chase Blackburn and he is a bettter athlete than Pierce, but I saw him get blown off the ball too many times while playing the middle during the pre-season to feel really good about him anchoring the middle. And nobody has a clue what Jonathan Goff could bring to the table.
Pressure on Matt Ryan. Without Michael Turner, the Falcons will still try to run the ball. They will likely have to rely on Ryan to make more plays, however, and the Giants have got to get pressure on him. He has been mistake-prone in recent weeks, and it sure would be nice to see the pass rush force a couple of game-changing bad throws. Hopefully, they can do it with the front four. If not, let's hope Bill Sheridan turns Clint Sintim and Michael Boley loose on some blitzes. Oh, and let's pray he forgets about that zone blitz nonsense.
The Giants handle Tony Gonzalez. Covering the tight end has not been a strong suit for the Giants, and Ryan will be looking Gonzalez way a lot. If Boley, and possibly Sintim, can neutralize him that can go a long way toward slowing the Atlanta offense.
The Giants ride Brandon Jacobs. I have said repeatedly recently that Jacobs has been under-utilized during the four-game losing streak. The Falcons are 26th in the league against the run, and there is no excuse for the Giants not to pound Jacobs 20 times or so today in what is really their biggest "must win" game of the season to date.
The Giants hit some big passing plays. That doesn't necessarily mean chucking the ball 50 yards downfield on 3rd and 2, but the Falcons have been susceptible to giving up big chunks of yardage at times. The Giants have not hit a big play in recent weeks, and they will need to today.

There will be lots of 'Wet Willies' Monday if ...

Atlanta runs the ball effectively. With Turner likely out, the Giants need to make the Falcons one-dimensional. The opportunity is there, and the front seven simply has to force the Atlanta offense to be pass-happy.
The Red/Green Zone issues continue. Both teams are 5-4. Both are imperfect. This could be a close game. Taking advantage of offensive opportunities, and a couple of big defensive stops, could make the difference.
The special teams woes continue. It seems like every week some aspect or another of the Giants special teams has broken down. Jeff Feagles has been horrible recently. The kickoff coverage has been spotty. Lawrence Tynes struggled early on. The Giants have not had a difference-making return in weeks.

New York Giants News & Notes: Pierce Contract Situation & More

cjmulrain — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:04:22 -0000

Ed posted about Antonio Pierce's injury last night, and it's definitely not good news. Mike Garafalo reports a little more about Pierce's contract situation and that of replacement Chase Blackburn. Also from MG comes a preview of the game against the Falcons.

Speaking of Giants' linebackers, Giants' rookie Clint Sintim is leaning on "one cool dude," aka Danny Clark. Whether that's a good thing or not I'll leave up to you.
Giants legend (and my all-time favorite player) Michael Strahan was brought into practice yesterday to give the Giants a surprise pep talk. According to Strahan:

"They're as talented as any team in the league," he said. "It's just a matter of believing in their talent and the talent of the guy next to them. If they do that, they'll be just fine."

The general theme out there seems to be that the next seven days will define the Giants season. It's certainly hard to say that's wrong right now.
The Giants are going to be looking for "big play opportunities" against the Falcons. That's quite alright with me.
Hakeem Nicks has made a list of impact rookie wide receivers. I was a little skeptical of the Nicks pick back in April, but I have been pleasantly surprised so far - next to Steve Smith he's been my favorite player to watch so far this year, and the two of them have a bright future for the Giants.

Do you know what time it is? It's Ernie P. time

Ed Valentine — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:15:12 -0000

More photos » by Carolyn Kaster - AP

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning and his team have fallen the past three weeks. The question now is, can they get back up?

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Time for my weekly swap of questions with long-time Giants beat writer Ernie Palladino, which we do every Friday. My answers to these same questions will be found some time today at Ernie's Giants beat.

1. How important is it that Michael Boley and Chris Canty get back into the lineup this week?

Ernie's Answer: I've totally changed my thinking on this. I never expected the Giants to drop three straight after that start. But since they have, this game with San Diego has become as close to a must-win game as one gets at this time of year. A lot of my readers have coined it an "All hands on deck" game, and I agree. Any available swinging...well, you know, has to be out there. Now, considering the dismal showing of the linebackers and the apparent lack of speed in the unit, Boley's presence is a must. If he can move at all, it's still an upgrade over Chase Blackburn. And who knows, Boley might even be able to get home on the blitz. As for Canty, the middle of that line needs a big, tall guy to hinder Rivers' field of vision. If he can come in on just the passing downs, get those 747 wings up, and bat a couple of balls, it will have been worth rushing him back. This defense needs something, and the Giants are paying both Boley and Canty a lot of money. Ideally, I'd have liked them to sit out until Atlanta, after the bye, but the season has reached too critical a stage to hold off on using them.

2. Would four losses in a row basically set this team on an irretrievable spiral after the bye?

Ernie's Answer: I asked that same question Wednesday to Tom Coughlin, and he didn't even want to think about the possibility. Wouldn't address it at all. I don't blame him. He knows what losing a fourth straight game would do to this team. It would utterly destroy what little of their confidence is left. You know, there's a big difference in an 0-8 team hitting a bye and one that was formerly 5-0. The winless team knows it's bad, and it can use the bye to reassess its dedication to the sport, hone up on fundamentals, whatever. The 5-0 team who drops four straight just before the bye is a tortured one, condemned now to wonder for two whole weeks how such a successful season started sinking into oblivion. The fact that they'll still be a game above .500 won't matter. It's the thought of, "Where the hell is rock bottom here," that will haunt the players. That could lead to all sorts of things, and self-doubt is the most mild manifestation. Finger-pointing, insurrection, summary execution of the coaching staff, the whole bit. Lose this game and things could get very, very ugly. And the coach knows it. No wonder Coughlin didn't want any part of the question.

3. What does Eli Manning have to do to fix his accuracy problems?

Ernie's Answer: A remedial reading course wouldn't hurt. You know, the kind where an assistant sits down with him and says, "See that guy in the different-colored uniform? If he's too close to your guy, don't throw there. Either throw it away or check down. And stop picking at that, you'll make it bleed!" Of course, convincing people like Mario Manningham to run a proper route wouldn't hurt, either. Whatever. Eli simply needs to settle down and start reading defenses like he was last season and at the beginning of this season. If he does that, and he's decisive in his throws, I believe the passes will find their marks more consistently.

4. Would a coaching change, ala John Hufnagel, help anything at this point?

Ernie's Answer: Nah. Everybody wants to put Kevin Gilbride's and Bill Sheridan's heads on pikes and display them at the Tower of London. Look, aside from Gilbride trying to call the spectacular play every third-and-short he comes across, these guys aren't calling such horrendous games. Sheridan blitzed a lot against Philadelphia. Is it his fault virtually none of them got home? As for Gilbride, yeah, he should probably use Kevin Boss more and commit to the run. But a little prodding from Coughlin should take care of that. So should a little play-action in the Red Zone, which will be effective only if the Giants establish the run first. Note the trend here. Run. And now that Boley is expected back, perhaps those blitzes Sheridan calls will have some effect. Oh, I know. Do something about C.C. Brown. And what would you like Sheridan to do? Aaron Rouse isn't the answer. Terrell Thomas or Aaron Ross might be, but he can't do anything until Ross is healthy. So he's hamstrung. Not his fault. So don't anticipate any changes. Do anticipate Coughlin getting on both their backs to alter their play calling a bit, however.

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.

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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.

Which Cardinals' player not named Larry Fitzgerald would you like to have?

Ed Valentine — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:58:34 -0000

In my chat earlier today with Charles Golden from 'Revenge of the Birds' I remembered to squeeze in my 'which player would you take off the Giants roster' question.

I was hoping Charles would reciprocate, because I have some thoughts about which Cardinals could help the Giants the most. He didn't, though, so I will toss the question out to you guys.

There is a caveat, though. Let's forget about Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, Kurt Warner and the high-flying Arizona offense. Currently, the issues the Giants have are on defense. I think there are a few Cardinals players who could fit with the Giants, so let's discuss them.

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB

First-round pick by Arizona last season, he has six interceptions in his first 21 games. Looks to me like a guy who is turning into the player we all hoped Aaron Ross would be. Rodgers-Cromartie sure would look nice at corner, maybe allowing Terrell Thomas to go play safety.

Antrel Rolle, S

A converted corner in his fifth season in the league, Rolle is still only 26. How does this scouting report, from Rolle's SB Nation player page, sound to you?

A converted cornerback with exceptional cover skills. Has great range when playing safety. Can be effective in man or zone coverage. Has great hands and can run with the ball. A good enough tackler to play free safety.

Umm, I think that sounds like a guy who would be a huge upgrade over 'Bad, Bad C.C. Brown' and Aaron Rouse.

Karlos Dansby, LB

Dansby's name was bandied about here during the off-season when it looked like he might be a free agent. He had 117 tackles in 2007 and 143 last season. He is a far more athletic outside linebacker than Danny Clark or Chase Blackburn. There are questions about whether or not he could be effective in a 4-3, but I wouldn't mind finding out.

Neil Rackers, PK

Yeah, I know, not a defender. But, c'mon, the 10-year veteran is one of the best kickers in the league. I think we would all take him before Lawrence Tynes.

Here are a couple of Rackers' facts for you.

Has not missed a field goal inside 30 yards since 2001.
Is 14-for-16 between 40 and 49 yards the past three seasons.
Has at least one field goal of 50+ yards in 5 straight seasons.

So, anyone on this list you guys would love to plug into the Giants' lineup? Anyone else on that defense you might be interested in?