SB Nation - Sam Madison

2009 Schedule Preview: Week 5 vs. NY Giants

Saintsational — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 11:00:10 -0000

The Saints finally finish up their run of three straight New York-based opponents when they take on the Giants in the Superdome during week five of the season. Since last facing each other, the Giants went and won themselves a Super Bowl and became a perennial contender. To be sure, the G-Men will provide a tough test for the Saints, in particular, their agressive defense. Hopefully, the results of this years clash will closely mirror those of the last meeting between these two teams. Something tells me it won't.

Giants Offense

New Orleans native Eli Manning is still running the show in New York but the team around him has seen some change. To offset the loss of their two big receivers, Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer, the Giants used their first round pick to take Hakeem Nicks in this years draft. They also selected receiver Ramses Barden and tight end Travis Beckum for added depth. Steve Smith (not that one), who led the team in receptions last year, will remain one of Manning's favorite targets while Domenik Hixon should develop quite nicely this season.

On the ground, Brandon Jacobs will certainly continue to be the main man for the G-Men, who led the league in rushing last season, but they've lost Derrick Ward, their 1,000-yard backup. Yes, that's right...backup. Ahmad Bradshaw should step up and fill that role in 2009 while a slew of other young backs like Danny Ware, Andre Brown, Allen Patrick and Dwayne Wright all fight for a spot in camp.

This is going to be a tough challenge for the Saints defense but certainly not impossible, especially if improvement really has been made.

Giants Defense

Two years ago the Giants defense was so good they were credited with taking down the almighty and undefeated New England Patriots. So good, in fact, that the Saints used them as a model for getting pressure on the quarterback last season. It didn't really work for the Saints but the Giants kept on rolling with 42 sacks and finished 2008 with the leagues fifth best defense. And all of this without Osi Umenyiora. Now Umenyiora is back and the team has also added defensive tackles Rocky Bernard and Chris Canty to further make their defensive line just scary good.

To help upgrade their linebacking corp, possibly the weakest aspect of their defense, the Giants have added Michael Boley and stole first round prospect Clint Sintim in the second round of this years draft to help veteran Antonio Pierce. This should definitely be an area of improvement in 2009.

In the pass defense department, New York has lost cornerbacks R.W. McQuarters and Sam Madison as well as safeties Sammy Knight and James Butler. The team is hoping that late round draft picks DeAndrew Wright and Stony Woodson along with safety C.C. Brown will offer depth behind Corey Webster, Kenny Phillips and Michael Johnson.

New Yorks defense definitely poses a legitimate threat to the Saints powerful offense. Not good.

Giants 2008 Season

12-4 Record

Last Meeting

December 24th, 2006

Week 16	1	2	3	4	OT	F
Saints	3	10	7	10	--	30
Giants	7	0	0	0	--	7

Why the Saints Can Win

They Saints have been known to shut down very talented running backs.

Why the Saints Can Lose

The Giants defense may be too much to handle.

Prediction

Saints 17 - Giants 15

Newly Acquired

TE George Wrighster

DT Chris Canty

DT Rocky Bernard

OLB Michael Boley

S C.C. Brown

2009 Draft Class

WR Hakeem Nicks

OLB Clint Sintim

OT William Beatty

WR Ramses Barden

TE Travis Beckum

RB Andre Brown

QB Rhett Bomar

CB DeAndre Wright

CB Stoney Woodson

Key Losses

RB Derrick Ward

RB Reuben Droughns

WR Plaxico Burress

WR Amani Toomer

TE Darcy Johnson

TE Martrez Milner

OT Shane Olivea

C Grey Ruegamer

DE Jerome McDougle

CB R.W. McQuarters

CB Sam Madison

S James Butler

S Sammy Knight

K John Carney

Linkage

Big Blue View

SB Nation Giants Coverage

Giants @ Saints Coverage

Giants Roster

Giants Transactions

Poll

What worries you more?

The Giants running game

38 votes

New York's defensive line

88 votes

Both of them

101 votes

Neither of them

38 votes

265 votes | Poll has closed

Greatest Dolphins of All-Time, By The Numbers: 21-30

Matty I — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 04:15:09 -0000

We are now starting to get into some of the more interesting numbers as our look at the greatest Dolphins ever to wear every jersey number continues. You can check out numbers 11 through 20 by clicking here or numbers 1 through 10 by clicking here.

Today I will pick out numbers 21 through 30. Be sure to tell us all your thoughts on this in the comments below - as there is sure to be some debate on at least a few of my picks.

Number 21 - Jim Kiick, RB, 1968-1974
Kiick burst onto the scene as a rookie in 1968 and was instantly a fan favorite. His ability as a dual-threat player made him a terrific role player on Miami's championship teams. He was a 2 time Pro-Bowler, with both appearances coming in his first two career seasons - which is when Kiick totaled over 2,000 yards from scrimmage over those two seasons and scored 14 touchdowns. Kiick also led the AFL in rushing touchdowns in '69 with nine.
Other Candidates: Mark Higgs

Number 22 - Mercury Morris, RB, 1969-1975
Morris might be more well-known - nationally, that is - for his public comments in the weeks leading up to the Patriots near-perfect season. But Morris is known by Dolphin fans as an electric running back who was a 3 time Pro-Bowler and a major reason why the Dolphins won two Super Bowls. Morris became a full-time starter in 1972 and never looked back, rushing for 1954 yards and 22 touchdowns in Miami's two championship seasons while splitting carries with Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick. And Morris also had three career kickoff return touchdowns to go along with his accomplishments as a running back.
Other Candidates: Tony Nathan, Shawn Wooden

Number 23 - Patrick Surtain, CB, 1998-2004
As much as I love Ronnie Brown, you simply can't justify putting him over Surtain right now. Surtain's seven seasons in Miami were just awesome. He's a 3 time Pro-Bowler and 1 time first-team All-Pro. His 29 career interceptions as a Dolphin ranks 4th all-time in team history. And for a stretch of three to four years, he and Sam Madison teamed up for what was probably the best cornerback duo in the NFL at that time. But I will say that Ronnie could potentially take over this spot in my rankings in a few years if he remains a Dolphin and plays as well as I believe he can.
Other Candidates: Ronnie Brown, Troy Vincent, Troy Stradford

Number 24 - Delvin Williams, RB, 1978-1980
This was a tough one. But in the end, Williams gets the nod thanks to his exceptional 1978 season - a season that saw Williams run for 1,258 yards and 8 touchdowns while earning Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors. In fact, many might not know that Delvin's rushing total in '78 ranks 3rd all-time in team history - trailing only Ricky Williams and his first two seasons in Miami. Of course, Delvin wasn't as effective in his two other seasons in Miami. But no other All-Pro has ever worn the #24 jersey in Miami - which is why he gets the spot.
Other Candidates: Jack Clancy, Sammy Knight

Number 25 - Louis Oliver, S, 1989-1993 & 1995-1996
This was really a 3-way toss-up. But I decided to go with the only one of the three not to make a Pro Bowl. Why? Because Oliver was a bad-ass safety. He was the kind of safety I love to watch play - a physical guy who loves to hit. He also had 24 interceptions in his 6 years as a safety in Miami. I often think he actually gets overlooked when discussing the Dolphins' best all-time players. And that's why I'm putting him here as the greatest Dolphin to ever wear the number 25.
Other Candidates: Dick Westmoreland, Tim Foley

Number 26 - Lamar Smith, RB, 2000-2001
Smith is best remembered for his outstanding performance against the Colts in a 2000 Wildcard game in which he ran for 209 yards and 2 touchdowns - including the game-winner in overtime. That performance ranks 3rd in team history for most rushing yards in a game - and first in Dolphins' post-season history. Smith's performance that season also is in Miami's record books. His 1,139 yards rushing that year stands as the 4th most in team history, trailing only two Ricky Williams seasons and the previously mentioned 1978 Delvin Williams season. And Smith's 14 rushing touchdowns that year also ranks as the 3rd most in team history.
Other Candidates: Jarvis Williams, Lloyd Mumphord

Number 27 - Terrell Buckley, CB, 1995-1999, 2003
Not much to choose from here. But T-Buck did have a couple of good seasons in Miami. In 1996, Buckley picked off 6 passes, which ranked 4th in the league the year, and led the league with 164 interception return yards. Then in 2008, Buckley intercepted 8 passes - a career high and 2nd most in the NFL that season. But Buckley never did live up to the expectations that were set by fans upon his arrival in Miami.
Other Candidates: Gary Davis, Lorenzo Hampton

Number 28 - Don McNeal, CB, 1980-1989
Nobody really jumped out here so I went with the guy who spent the most time wearing the number as a Dolphin. After all, if you stick around for a decade, you must be doing something somewhat right. McNeal started 48 games for the Dolphins in the 80s, tallying 18 interceptions - including a career-high 5 as a rookie. Those 5 interceptions as a rookie ranks 2nd all-time in team history, trailing only the superb rookie season of the great Dick Anderson - who had 8 interceptions as a rookie in 1968.
Other Candidates: Travis Minor, Gene Atkins

Number 29 - Sam Madison, CB, 1997-2005
What can you really say about Sam Madison? He's simply one of the all-time great corners in Dolphins history. He ranks 3rd all-time in Dolphins history with 31 career interceptions - which is the most for any cornerback in team history. He's a 4 time Pro-Bowler and 2 time first-team All-Pro. He led the league in interceptions in 1999 with 7. The previous season, his 8 interceptions ranked 2nd in the league. He's also one of a few players in NFL history who can say he has returned a fumble for a touchdown, an interception for a touchdown, and picked up a safety in his career. And like I said before, together with Patrick Surtain, he was part of the NFL's top cornerback duo for a few years.
Other Candidates: None

Number 30 - Bernie Parmalee, RB, 1992-1998
Parmalee is a guy who was probably a bit under-appreciated in his years with the Dolphins. He never produced gaudy numbers - his career high in rushing yards was 868 in 1994 - but he made plays and did what he was asked to do. He was steady and reliable - a player a lot like Patick Cobbs, in my opinion. In the two seaons that saw Parmalee get to start a majority of the season ('94 and '95), Bernie averaged 873 yards rushing on 226 carries (3.9 ypc) to go with 36.5 receptions per season. In his 7 seasons with the Dolphins, Parmalee accumulated 3,265 yards from scrimmage and 18 touchdowns - not bad for a guy who made the Dolphins at the age of 25 thanks to a tryout. And prior to his tryout, Bernie was working for UPS.
Other Candidates: Ron Davenport

Land of the Giants, 06.11.09

Ed Valentine — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 15:00:18 -0000

Here are several stories of interest to New York Giants' fans.

FOX Sports is out with its list of the Top 99 players (why 99 instead of 100?) for 2009. Here is how the Giants rank:

Eli Manning (17, with only 5 QBs ahead of him), Justin Tuck (34), Osi Umenyiora (35), Brandon Jacobs (70).
Up to this point, I admit I have been able to find out very little about the two cornerbacks the Giants took with their last two picks in recent NFL draft, sixth-rounder DeAndre Wright and seventh-rounder Stoney Woodson. Well, Giant Insider has provided some help, with features on Wright and Woodson.

Insider, unfortunately, is subscription-based meaning you may not be able to see the full article from the links I provided.

Here is a little bit about Wright, from Insider.

Like his seventh-round rookie classmate, Stoney Woodson, Wright also is considered an ‘eye’ corner by the Giants – he’s got the size (5-11, 198) and speed (4.52) to open your eyes. He also has talent as a kick returner and something intangible, but very welcome when it comes to sticking in the NFL – toughness.

How else do you explain a guy that played his final college game against Colorado State with two badly injured shoulders, one separated just two weeks earlier when making an acrobatic interception against Utah?

His reason for coming back so quickly says a lot about his love for the game and his respect for his teammates.

"I knew I was going to have surgery after the season, but I wanted to play with my team for the final game," Wright explained.

Even though another hit might worsen the separated shoulder and hurt his future?

"I wasn’t thinking about jeopardizing my pro career," he said. "The NFL stands for Not For Long, so I wasn’t thinking about what it might mean if I got hurt. I just enjoyed playing every moment there at at New Mexico, so I wanted to have another moment by playing in that final game."

Here is a little about Woodson, also from Insider.

At 5-11, 197, with 4.5 speed, Woodson has the measurables you want in a corner and safety, both positions he played in college.

"He’s what we call an eye corner," Giants Director of College Scouting Marc Ross said. "Guys that have size and speed and that’s what he has. A real competitive kid."

Playing in the SEC, arguably the most talented and competitive conference in college football, Woodson knows all about playing against a bevy of future NFL stars.

As a fifth-year senior, Woodson saw plenty of action: 12 games his redshirt freshmen year; all 13 games as a sophomore and junior; and 10 games as a senior, due to a hamstring injury.

"Playing in the SEC, the speed was pretty fast," Woodson said. "Teams were good and a lot of the players were great. But, even though the speed of the game here is much faster, I think that helped."

With veteran backups Sam Madison and R.W. McQuarters gone from the Giants' secondary there is room for at least one of these guys to make the team this fall. They will be worth paying attention to once camp starts in August.

Here are a few other noteworthy stories.

Remember when Tiki Barber was going to be a TV superstar? Well, The Fifth Down noted a couple of days ago that Barber is now being called "the TV equivalent of General Motors." Somehow, I can't feel bad about it.
Our man George Cronin brought this story about the importance of offensive tackles to my attention. Not completely Giants-related, but it does make you appreciate David Diehl and understand how important Wiliam Beatty could be one day.
The Jets are apparently serious about signing Plaxico Burress if he is cleared to play in 2009.
'Simms-McConkey' is right that the folks at NFL Touchdown could use some serious copy-editing help. Regardless, some of their stuff interesting. Like this piece stating that Mario Manningham and Mathias Kiwanuka could be breakout players in 2009. By the way 'Simms,' you have a full-time job. If the folks at 'Touchdown' want the help, I'm available.
Mike Garafolo says defensive tackle Barry Cofield did not have microfracture surgery on his knee.
Hakeem Nicks, the Giants' No. 1 draft choice, will throw out the first pitch tonight at Citi Field before the New York Mets host the Philadelphia Phillies. Nicks has apparently never been to a major league game.

By the way, you guys like the new name for our Giants' notebook? Just calling it 'notebook' seems way too boring.

MHR Chalk Talk -- Week 9 - Miami at Denver

Steve Nichols — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 21:00:05 -0000

YOUR SOURCE FOR THE VERY BEST

IN DENVER BRONCO PRE-GAME ANALYSIS

MILEHIGHREPORT.COM

Denver has a high powered offense that has sputtered a bit since teams adjusted to their spread offense. That offense hasn't relied much on the famous zone block run as of late, and Denver's scores have decreased as the season goes on. The defense has been awful, ranking in the basement in terms of yards allowed both in rushing and passing. Denver's star defensive player is out about four weeks (Champ Bailey) and the starting strong side LB is out for good. That's the bad news.

The good news is a division lead, and the return of some injured players on offense. Also, a young men is gearing up for his first professional start. Can you hear the whistle blowing? Will it be enough against Miami?

Miami is an odd team. They've beaten teams they weren't expeccted to (NE, SD, and BUF), and lost to eaiser teams (ARI, NYJ, HOU). They're a fun team to watch in the running department (the Wildcat, which is kind of a single wing / run option spin off), have a great blitzer of the weak side in 3-4 OLB Porter, and play the pass well behind a short ranged but deadly accurate Pennington.

What can we expect, and why? Answers follow below the fold...

Denver can reach the magic 10-6 (the likely standard for a playoff spot) mark if they win the games that they should win, including this home game against Miami. While Denver is expected to win this game, there are plenty of potential problems in the match-up.

MIA Pass Offense / DEN Pass Defense

Pennington is a smart QB, and has an accurate arm. He doesn't have the arm for long passes, but in MIA that's ok. He has good weapons in underdog Camarillo and Ginn at WR, and faces a suspect Denver secondary.

Denver will be without Champ Bailey, and will likely see Paymah playing at #1 CB. While fans are critical of Dre Bly (who has the second most INTs in the League since 1999 with 38), some fans (like me) are more apt to blame the poor pass rush or the lack of two deep safeties.

Paymah is likely playing for his very job with Denver. He displaced Foxworth (who is no longer with the team), but is at risk from upcoming CB J. Williams. In the last year of his contract, he needs to play well. Bly has been in a drought since he joined the team, along with Champ Bailey, both of whom who have had little support from other defensive cast members.

One of those cast members may be turning the corner. Pass rush specialist Dumervil, who suffered a broken finger, seemed recovered enough to break through the Patriots offensive line a few times. If he can get past a solid MIA offensive line on Sunday (which features 2008 draft star Jake Long), the secondary might have a chance for a good game.

Denver can go one of two routes this game. They can try for the pass rush option (with some blitzing thrown in) to try and hassle Pennington. Oddly enough, this is one game Denver might even benefit from the 3 man rush that has been so inneffective so far this year. With Pennington throwing short and medium range passes, LBs in zone may not be sch a bad thing afterall.

MIA Run Offense / DEN Run Defense

Denver has the speed to short circuit runs to the edges. The trouble they face against MIAs RBs is the failure to tackle. There should be little concern about the "wildcat" offense given the two weeks Denver has had to prepare. Keeping your assignment, not overpursuing, and plugging the gaps are the ways to stop such a program. But tacklling is such a fundemental skill on defense, and Denver has done so poorly for the first seven games, that one has to wonder if they have yet mastered that basic skill. If you can't tackle on defense, no other skill set matters.

The loss of Boss Bailey for the season may be a hit, or it may make room for someone on the depth chart to shine.

MIA Offensive Overview

Miami's key to success, despite the lack of major name talents, is the simplicity of what they do on both sides of the ball. Pennington is very capable of completing most of his passes, and his receivers run good routes. MIA also runs the ball well. Against Denver Miami should come out throwing early. MIA has a reasonable shot of picking up yards after the completion given Denver's pass coverage and lack of tackling problems. Using short, high percentage throws, MIA can eat the clock, hope for a breakaway play, and set up the run game to give Denver fits.

For their part, Denver needs to tackle well, keep passes in front of the safety(ies), and pressure Pennington.

DEN Run Offense

Ryan Torrain may start this game. Expectations are unfairly high for a guy who hasn't played a game since an injury in college. He looked phenomininal in the preseason, but fans shouldn't be hard on what this kid does or doesn't do in his first game (if this is going to be it).

If Torain doesn't play, or comes out making mistakes, Pittman will be carrying the load in an attempt to keep the heat off of Cutler. If Torain comes out playing well, the two players would make a great combination of power up the middle that could go far towards reestablishing the famous Denver running game.

On the MIA side, they have a very good defensive line. Ferguson is excellent as a run stopper, and the entire front makes things easier for the LBs to get into plays. Like Denver, MIA will sometimes mix up the 4-3, 3-4.

DEN Pass Offense

MIA does one thing well, and another thing poorly. What they do well is bring pressure. Porter (ROLB) is an excellent blitzer on the weakside. He'll not only be a challenge for Clady (who has allowed zero sacks), but will make the Denver bootleg play very, very difficult to carry out without Cutler getting hurt (on rolls to the left). If either Scheffler or Stokley can play Sunday, Cutler will have enough weapons to spread the field. Teams have been covering Marshall well, and Cutler is still learning to go through his checkdowns and to look off his throws.

The good news is that MIA is not strong in their secondary. The team that once boasted Surtain and Madison has lost the elite reputation for CBs, and is vulnerable. Denver should do well in the pass game if Cutler is patient and limits turnovers.

General Overview

This is a game that should be determined in the trenches. The running games of each team depend on the lines, and both teams have secondaries that need for the lines to play well.

Both teams have solid OLs. Denver has the better QB, but Pennington is still solid. MIA has a much better DL and LBs, while Denver has a better secondary (though not playing at all well).

The keys to this game are simple -

DEN

If they don't tackle well, they don't win.
Limit INTs
Get an early lead

Notice that 2/3s of Denver's keys are to just limit mistakes.

MIA

Pressure Cutler
Avoid a shootout
Force Denver to try and stop the run

Match-ups to watch

Denver DE Dumervil and OLB Williams vs MIA LT Long

and

MIA OLB Porter vs DEN LT Clady

Conclusion

This is a game MIA needs if they want to stay in the hunt for the post season. While it is still too early to be a must win game for Denver, the truth is that Denver has little room for error going forward, and needs to win home games and games against opponents they are favored to beat.

Denver fans rebounded pretty well from a MNF loss at NE before the bye. They are less likely to recover from a loss to MIA at home. Denver has had two weeks to rest up, recover from injuries, and work on their shortcomings. Excuses won't cut it this week. Denver has to win this game.

I believe that they will, if they don't underestimate a team with a reputation for slaying giants.

Poll

Regardless of who wins, the game will be...

a blowout

35 votes

a moderate win or loss

96 votes

a close game

73 votes

204 votes | Poll has closed

Random Ramsdom, 8/30: roster possibilities

VanRam — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 15:17:33 -0000

Here's a few time wasters if you need a break from your family this weekend. Hey, one week from tomorrow it's here. All the preseason noise fades into background. Over the course of the week we'll be talking lots about the matchup, so stay tuned.

RB Lance Ball surprised everyone with a really solid camp. Unfortunately, he's probably just far enough on the other side of the bubble to be left off the 53-man roster. He is, however, almost a sure thing for the practice squad, unless... some other team in need of depth at RB puts in a claim when/if the Rams waive him before they can sign him to the practice squad. The Jets have cut Jesse Chatman and are left with just two RBs, Thomas Jones and Leon Washington. They could be looking for a third. Of course, Shuan Alexander might be a better option for a third RB, but a guy like Ball could come much cheaper.
With CB Fahkir Brown still not working in team activities and questionable for week 1, the Rams will most certainly be looking for an extra hand at CB. It's being reported that the Giants will likely release veteran CBs R.W. McQuarters, 31, and Sam Madison, 34. As you can see both guys are pretty long in the tooth, but as veteran depth they could be decent additions. McQuarters returned 42 punts for the Giants last season and played in all 16 games. He had three INTs in the post season and hauled in another against the Pats in preseason play this week. Madison had 67 tackles last season and 4 INTs.
DE Vernon Gholston was once on the Rams draft day radar, a little further down on the list. Gholston has struggled through the preseason with the Jets, and has been called their biggest disappointment of the preseason. They are working him at LB too. Interesting to note the struggles the young DEs taken in the draft are having, like Chris Long. I think with the talent these two guys have, they'll emerge, but it takes time. Remember when Mario Williams, drafted ahead of Reggie Bush, looked like a huge bust? Until he had 14.5 sacks last year.
WR Donnie Avery has a sprained right knee, nothing serious, and he should be able to play at Philly in week 1. They'll evaluate him in practice this week. It is, apparently, an injury he's dealt with before, in his senior year.
Five areas of progress, five areas of concern.
Rams drinking games. That drink for every Drew Bennett dropped pass could get you in trouble.

And finally, all eyes on another big football game in the EJD tonight as Mizzou takes on Illinois. Get all the MU talk you need at Rock M Nation.