SB Nation - Kevin Dockery

New York Giants News & Notes: Giants Using Bye Week to Get Healthier & Better in Red Zone

cjmulrain — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:00:41 -0000

The best thing about having a bye week this late in the season is that it allows some players who have been banged up to get healthy, and hopefully minimize the risk of further injuries during the stretch run. We saw how the Giants ran out of gas last season after having an early bye. Hopefully this year will prove the opposite.

On that note, Ralph Vachianno reports that Aaron Ross is practicing and looks to be ready to return when the Giants play the Falcons next Sunday.

Still, Ross said, "I wasn't nervous at all" yesterday. "I felt really good to tell you the truth. I've got to get a little bit of the rust and cobwebs off, but a couple of more days of practice and I'll be all right."

Tom Rock writes that the return of Danny Ware might give the Giants the missing link they've been missing on offense this season. According to running backs coach Jerald Ingram:

"You've got your banger, your third-down back and your speed changeup guy, and away we go," Ingram said of Jacobs, Ware and Bradshaw, respectively. "We put it on our shoulders and we try to motivate the offense as well as the defense and get everybody happy."

Tom Coughlin has stated that the Giants will be working on both their red zone defense and "green zone" offense (I still hate calling it that, especially with the way the Giants have looked down there). This has been an issue for way too long now, and it's almost embarrassing that the Giants have been so bad inside the 20s.
The NFL has fined Ahmad Bradshaw (chop block), Kevin Dockery (unnecessary roughness on a fair catch), and Clint Sintim (roughing the passer) $5,000 each. The good news is that San Diego's Eric Weddle has been fined $7,500 for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Kevin Boss. You know, the one that didn't draw a yellow flag on the field.

'Kudos & Wet Willies:' Rough day for Giants fans edition

Ed Valentine — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:49:17 -0000

by Julie Jacobson - AP

San Diego Chargers wide receiver Vincent Jackson (83) makes a catch for the go-ahead touchdown against New York Giants cornerback Corey Webster (23) in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, in East Rutherford, N.J. The Chargers won 21-20.

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This morning's 'Kudos & Wet Willies' is not exactly fun to do. Sunday's game is one the Giants should have won, it just didn't happen.

The season is hardly over. A lot can happen in seven more games, and I still believe the Giants can be a playoff team. They certainly have no more margin for error, though.

Anyway, on with the 'Kudos & Wet Willies.' I'm sure some of my choices today will generate some disagreement.

'Kudos' to ..

Eli Manning: Well, we have a lot to complain about today. The play of Manning is not one of those things, however.
The Defensive Line: Big plays from Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck, Mathias Kiwanuka and Fred Robbins. This group didn't always get to Philip Rivers, but they were in attack mode all day. The Chargers only totaled 34 yards rushing, largely due to improved work by the front four.
Terrell Thomas: Nine tackles and what should have been a game-clinching interception.
Bruce Johnson: It was nice to see Johnson on the field in passing situations instead of Kevin Dockery, and Johnson paid dividends by breaking up a trio of passes when Rivers and the Chargers tested him.
Steve Smith: Eight catches, including one for a touchdown and a few more third-down grabs. Smith continues to be the guy Eli can rely on when he needs to complete a pass.
Mario Manningham: Six catches and no drops for Manningham. The Giants really no longer have an issue at wide receiver, and Manningham is a big part of the reason why.
Kevin Boss: You just have to love this guy. How much tougher could be be? A brilliant catch early in the game when he got absolutely crushed coming across the middle of the field. I know my first thought was 'concussion.' Yet, there he was making a touchdown reception in the fourth quarter to put the Giants ahead. He is, undeniably, one of my favorite Giants.
Brandon Jacobs: Once again, Jacobs ran hard and well (11 carries, 67 yards, a 6.1 yards per carry average). Once again, though, probably not enough opportunities. Ahmad Bradshaw (14 carries, 39 yards, 2.8 YPC) wasn't getting it done, and I wish Jacobs had gotten more opportunities.
Michael Boley: Seven tackles and a pass defensed in his return from knee surgery. When he has been healthy Boley has shown speed and athleticism the Giants linebacking group sorely needs.
Kevin Gilbride: This one will send many of you into an outright uproar, I know that. But, I think the often-vilified offensive coordinator belongs here, anyway. The Giants put together two long, time-consuming drives, albeit we can argue about the wisdom of slamming Bradshaw up the middle on short yardage. KG used screens, play-action, slants, a reverse, a direct snap to Jacobs. Shoot, he even got Danny Ware in the game and got him the ball a couple of times. He pretty much emptied the tank. The conservative red/green zone series at the end is on Coughlin, not KG. That's the kind of game-changing decision that comes from the head coach.

'Wet Willies' to ...

Tom Coughlin: The Giants played with heart, taking TC's "one-game season" pronouncement to heart and playing with a lot of emotion. Coughlin, though, is the head coach of a team that has gone seriously off track, and right now he doesn't seem to have the answers. Two questionable Coughlin decisions had a lot to do with Sunday's loss. First, the choice to run the ball up three points in the red zone with more than two minutes to play. Settling for the field goal, instead of trusting your star quarterback and going for the knockout blow, is a bad mistake. I have thought about this one a lot, and as much as I love TC not trusting Eli and going for the knockout blow is inexcusable. Also, don't forget that the Giants passed up a chance to go for it on 4th-and-1 at the San Diego 21 the first time they had the ball. That, of course, resulted in the botched field goal and no points.
Corey Webster: We can stop now with the discussion of whether or not Webster should be considered an elite "shut down" corner back. Vincent Jackson (5 catches, 58 yards, 2 TDs) had his way with Webster Sunday. On the game-winning touchdown, Jackson beat Webster badly. C-Web didn't even seem to know the ball was in the air. That's awful. Maybe he should not have been in single coverage, but Webster is supposed to be one of the best cover corners in the league. A guy of his stature simply cannot get torched like that with the game on the line.
The Special Teams: Week in and week out, the only thing 'special' about the Giants' special teams is how especially bad they are. As much as anything, horrible special teams play cost the Giants a victory Sunday. A botched field goal in which Lawrence Tynes didn't even try to kick it. Horrible punting by Jeff Feagles that left the Giants defending a short field the entire game, and a non-existent return game. Are we sure Sinorice Moss hasn't stolen Domenik Hixon's uniform? Kevin Dockery had a stupid penalty that handed the Chargers 15 yards. Hey, Kevin, how can you have no clue where the return man is?
Bill Sheridan: I thought the defensive coordinator did a lot of good things Sunday. The defensive line was active. The Giants blitzed more, and did not sit back in 'prevent' on the last drive. The run defense was excellent. Having Michael Johnson and Aaron Rouse switch responsibilities worked out well. Bruce Johnson played a lot of nickel instead of Kevin Dockery or C.C. Brown. Clint Sintim saw some time at linebacker. The zone blitz, though, a remnant of the Steve Spagnuolo era Sheridan promised to get rid of, has to go. Justin Tuck cannot cover tight ends and should not be asked to. And why was there single coverage in the end zone on the final drive? C'mon, that's just asking for trouble. Which is what the Giants got.
The Offensive Line: Argue all you want about the Giants decision to run the ball on third down from the San Diego 14 while leading 17-14. The Giants don't have to make that decision without the killer holding penalty on Chris Snee. The line as a whole did not play well, in my mind. San Diego blitzers ran free much of the game and Eli was sacked five times and ran for his life at least a half-dozen other times. The dirty little secret with the Giants offense is that this offensive line, dominant for so long, is beginning to show some cracks. How can Shawne Merriman -- Merriman, of all people -- get a free, unblocked run at Manning on the final play of the game? In the run game, there were a few holes. But, not consistently.
Fans calling for immediate firings: You guys know that isn't going to happen. C'mon, gang! TC is a terrific coach who made a decision that ended up backfiring Sunday. Sheridan did some good things and some bad ones Sunday. As for Gilbride, I'd think people would get tired of calling for his head. The Giants have had a lot of success the past few seasons, and they have hit a rough patch. It happens. No reason to want everybody gone. Think they wouldn't love to have TC and his staff in Washington? Or Oakland? Or a lot of other places?

Final - 11.8.2009	1	2	3	4	Total
San Diego Chargers	0	7	7	7	21
New York Giants	0	7	0	13	20

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'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!

Giants News: Giants Inactives for today

Jim Schmiedeberg — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 15:59:40 -0000

From Pat Hanlon:

Ramses Barden, Danny Ware, Aaron Ross, Adam Koets, Guy Whimper, Domenik Hixon, Clint Sintim, & Chris Canty...

On the plus side, Kevin Dockery and Hakeem Nicks will be active today

Giants' Ross remains hamstrung

Ed Valentine — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:23:10 -0000

More photos » by Mike Groll - AP

Aaron Ross

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At this point, you have to begin to wonder how much football Aaron Ross will play for the New York Giants this season.

Ross, the cornerback who is trying to come back from a lingering hamstring injury, is back on the shelf after trying to practice Wednesday.

"It just didn’t feel right," Ross said of the right hamstring that has been bothering him since early in training camp and has kept him out of all three regular season games this year. "I tried to go out there but the leg’s still not ready yet so we have to be smart."

Ross said he believed he would be able to practice on Wednesday. "I really did," he said, "but it happens for a reason."

Ross also said he did not re-injure the hamstring. "It’s just a little frustrating, that’s it," he said.

Coach Tom Coughlin had much better news on several other injured players in his Thursday meeting with reporters. Kevin Dockery, Hakeem Nicks and Clint Sintim have all returned to practice.

Summarizing Coughlin's presser

Ed Valentine — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:58:43 -0000

As he always does the day after games, New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin spoke to the media Monday afternoon.

Here are some of the highlights.

"Coming out of Dallas ... we needed to be able to stop the run and run the ball," Coughlin said. "And that is what started this week as we prepared and that is what we accomplished last night. I was pleased with that."

Coughlin said injured cornerbacks Aaron Ross and Kevin Dockery would return to practice this week.
Lawrence Tynes job is safe despite Sunday's 21-yard miss.
Coughlin seemed impressed by the little bit he saw of Gartrell Johnson, who he said "looks a lot quicker, at least to me, than his time speed."
TC disagreed with commentator Tony Siragusa's claims that Brandon Jacobs was not running hard enough.
Coughlin said rookie tackle William Beatty "did a pretty good job assignment-wise" Sunday in his first extended action.

'Kudos & Wet Willies': Giants get 'Kudos,' the Bucs get a 'Wet Willie'

Ed Valentine — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 11:00:22 -0000

More photos » by Chris O'Meara - AP

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Kellen Winslow (82) loses the football after taking a hit from New York Giants' C.C. Brown (41) and Antonio Pierce (58) during the third quarter an NFL football game Sunday Sept. 27, 2009 in Tampa, Fla. The Giants shut out the Buccaneers 24-0.

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If I really wanted to keep this short and simple, I would just say this. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a very bad football team. The New York Giants are a very good one. Except for Lawrence Tynes misadventures, it is pretty hard to find anything to complain about today as a Giants fan.

Anyway, there must always be 'Kudos & Wet Willies' following Giants football. So, I'll give it my best shot.

Kudos to ...

The Giants defense: No Kenny Phillips? No Aaron Ross, Kevin Dockery or Chris Canty? Justin Tuck on the field for just a few plays? Who cares? Stung by criticism after a poor performance a week ago, the Giants defense pitched a shutout and held the Bucs to 86 total yards, an effort Antonio Pierce called "One of the best (defensive performances) I’ve been a part of." Yes, it was against a woeful Tampa Bay team. Yes, the Giants did not record a sack. But, dominance is dominance. The Bucs ran just 36 plays and had the ball for a microscopic 16:22. I'm not even going to bother singling anyone out. The defense wasn't on the field long enough for any one player to actually have a huge day.
Ahmad Bradshaw: Brandon Jacobs might be a nightmare for defenders to tackle, but in his own way Bradshaw is as tough -- if not tougher -- to bring down. Bradshaw compiled 104 yards on 14 carries (7.8 yards per carry) Sunday, including a 38-yard run. Through three games he has been better than Jacobs.

Steve Smith: I think it's time we stop calling this guy "the other Steve Smith." He's pretty darn special in his own way. The guy is impossible to cover on short to mid-range routes, makes difficult catches along the sideline and always seems to show up when Eli Manning needs to make a key throw. Sunday was just another 7-catch, 63-yard, one touchdown day for Smith. Nothing big, just whatever Eli needed.
Tom Coughlin: For recognizing how much of a blowout the game was and getting Manning, Jacobs and some other guys out of the game midway through the fourth quarter. How many times have you stubbornly seen coaches leave stars in blowout games too long, only to watch someone needlessly get hurt.
Green Zone offense: Yippee! The Giants went 3-for-5 inside the Green Zone, their first three scores of the season in that area. They got touchdowns both times they had first-and-goal-to-go situations. They also converted 10-of-16 third downs, including some short ones. There were some power runs, but I liked some of the other things I saw. There were some spread formations. There were draw plays. There were some passes. Nothing came his way, but I saw Ramses Barden check in during at least one Green Zone series. Yes, it was against the Bumbling Bucs, but Sunday's performance was a positive.
Gartrell Johnson: Six carries for 23 yards in his debut, and had what I believe was a 19-yard run wiped out by a penalty. We just got a fourth-quarter glimpse, but you could see why the Giants like this guy.

Wet Willies to ...

Lawrence Tynes: I have tried to defend Tynes in the past. I cut him some slack last week even though he missed a 29-yarder -- figuring he did make 4-of-5 and nail a game-winner. I can't defend him now, though. No professional kicker should EVER miss from 21 yards. No excuse, even if holder Jeff Feagles didn't get the laces all the way around. It's 21 yards, for crying out loud! It's sad, but I'm pretty sure I can make that kick. "I wish I had an answer," Tynes said. "I didn’t kick good all week. I didn’t kick good in pregame and I didn’t kick good in the game. It was pretty much just a bad week all around for me." Coughlin won't put up with this forever.
The Tampa Bay offense: That is an NFL offense? Sorry, but I don't think so. The Giants defense played hard and did a good job against the run, but that was one of the most inept offensive performances I can remember watching. I wonder if Derrick Ward (5 carries, 2 yards) wishes he had kept his mouth shut last week.
Tony Siragusa: Did anybody else get tired of listening to Siragusa criticize Jacobs repeatedly throughout the game? If my TV wasn't so expensive I might have thrown something at it. Jacobs did not have his best game, but he was effective enough to lug the ball 26 times.

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New York Giants injury list is painful to look at

Ed Valentine — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 20:18:14 -0000

The list of New York Giants who did not practice today is looooooooong. Tom Coughlin spent much of his post-practice presser this afternoon answering questions about the status of key injured players for Sunday.

The very ugly injury picture sums up like this.

Chris Canty (calf), Clint Sintim (groin), Adam Koets (ankle) and Danny Ware (elbow) are out. We already knew Aaron Ross and Hakeem Nicks were no-go's.
Starting safety Kenny Phillips and cornerback Kevin Dockery are questionable.
Michael Boley appears ready for his first action as a Giant. Hooray, some good news!

The most discouraging news out of all of this has to be the ongoing knee injuries being experienced by Phillips. Coughlin said it was something the team was "going to manage this for the year."

Being the stickler for preparation that he is Coughlin is worried -- justifiably -- about the limitations that are being placed on Phillips' practice time. To say nothing of whether this is an injury he can actually get through the season with.

"Let's face it, when you don't practice every day there is something. He has to make up for it by the studying, being with his coach, the little tips and keys that you get," Coughlin said. "But when he worked he was obviously very good in center field and he obviously got some very good clues because he ended up where the ball was probably three or four times yesterday. So he is just going to have to work extra hard in the classroom."

Land of the Giants: Are roster moves coming?

Ed Valentine — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:00:29 -0000

So much to talk about, maybe the best thing is to just look around the Land of the Giants and take in the landscape as we begin to turn our attention to the Dallas Cowboys and the opening of Jerryland, er, the Cowboys new stadium.

Injury Updates

Tom Coughlin said in his Monday press briefing that Hakeem Nicks (foot) and Danny Ware (elbow) will be out at least two weeks and were "week to week" after that. Cornerback Aaron Ross (hamstring) has been ruled out for Sunday, and is unlikely to even practice this week. No word on Kevin Dockery's availability yet.

Other Stuff

Teams around the NFL are likely to make some roster moves in the next couple of days. With Week 1 by the boards, it is now less expensive to pick up veteran free agents since they can be released later on with less financial obligation. The injuries to Ware and Hicks, and maybe even Ross, might cause the Giants to scour the waiver wire a little more closely. Here are lists of the best offensive and defensive free agents available. Anyone on those lists you find really appealing? Ernie Palladino has some thoughts on possible roster shuffling.
Gotta give Tom Rock of Newsday some props for this one. T-Rock went to the effort Sunday of charting snaps for each of the Giants defensive linemen. Here are the totals he came up with.

Player	Snaps	Position
Justin Tuck	40	23 DE, 17 DT
Osi Umenyiora	39	DE
Mathias Kiwanuka	37	DE
Chris Canty	23	22 DT, 1 DE
Barry Cofield	22	DT
Rocky Bernard	21	DT
Fred Robbins	19	DT

Washington ran 50 total plays. That's a pretty good rotation, and it should help keep guys fresh all season. Kiwanuka, especially, should be happy with those numbers. Basically, he is playing as many snaps as Tuck and Umenyiora.

Sporting News: Giants in good hands with young receivers

You know all those wide receiver questions about the Giants. Well, at least one Sporting News columnist in convinced there is nothing to worry about.

Welcome to the '09 Giants, where a star system at wide receiver is no longer in vogue. Four different Giant receivers caught at least one pass Sunday during their 23-17 victory over the Redskins. Steve Smith (six catches, 80 yards) led the way, but Mario Manningham (three catches, 58 yards) had the offensive play of the day, eluding defenders, tiptoeing down the sideline and scoring his first NFL touchdown.

"I was just trying to get to the end zone," Manningham said. "It felt good. There'll be many to come, hopefully."

If Manningham is correct, the Giants will be tough to deal with. We know they can play defense. We know they can run the ball. But we do not know if their young receiving corps can carry the load, now that Burress and Amani Toomer are ex-Giants.

Instead of a go-to guy, the Giants now have a go-to group. Utilizing receivers, backs and tight end Kevin Boss, quarterback Eli Manning completed passes to seven teammates, distributing the ball like a point guard. Granted, none of the Giants' current receivers have Burress' total gifts. But they are hungry, they are developing chemistry with Manning and the competition for playing time is helping all of them improve.

"All summer, everybody was asking, 'Who's going to be the No. 1, who's going to be the No. 1?'," said Domenik Hixon, who had one catch for 10 yards. "We've got seven guys who can play. Hopefully, they'll utilize all of us. You can't just focus on one guy, because then somebody else will step up."