SB Nation - Sinorice Moss

For the New York Giants, time is now for some changes

Ed Valentine — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:15:09 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

Hopefully we will see a lot more of linebacker Clint Sintim (97) for the remainder of the season.

The bye week is over. The New York Giants have had time now to look in the mirror and assess what has gone wrong during their current unexpected four-game slide into mediocrity.

The question now is simple. What can they do to turn things around over the next seven games? Can they get back to being the team we all thought they were going to be, and that they were through a 5-0 start?

Defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan was asked last week about using the bye week to make changes in areas where his defense has been struggling. His answer, I thought, was instructive not just for the defense but for the Giants as a whole. I am taking a little editorial license with Sheridan's remarks, removing the parts where he specifically discussed red zone defense.

"You can sit back and look at a nine game self-scout and kind of take a picture of what you are doing ... How you are playing defense and what kind of calls you are or are not making. It gives you a chance, about a couple of days to do that, to maybe rethink some thoughts defensively about what you can do maybe a little differently," Sheridan said. "You can’t make dramatic changes but you definitely can modify it ... I think you can step back and take a look at what you are doing and maybe consider some other types of things."

Like I said, I think Sheridan's words apply to the entire team. Tom Coughlin, Kevin Gilbride, the players -- everyone. Now that they have had time to think about what has gone wrong, can they make some changes to get this ship sailing back in the right direction?

Here are my suggestions for things I would like to see the Giants do differently during the remaining seven games.

A lot more Brandon Jacobs. Is he running well? Isn't he running well? I'm tired of talking about it. Fact is, during the four-game skid he simply hasn't been running enough. In four losses Jacobs had 7, 13, 20 and 11 carries, 12.75 per game. In the five previous wins, Jacobs had more than 20 carries three times and no less than 16 in any game. He averaged 20 carries in those five victories. When the Giants are playing football their way, dominating teams physically and controlling the clock, Jacobs is punishing defenses 17-25 times per game. It's time to stop protecting the 6-foot-4, 270-pound Jacobs and start using him. As Yogi Berra would say "it's getting late early around here."

Stick with the short passing game. The Giants offense got back to the short, ball-control type passes against San Diego, and it's a trend I would like to see continue. There is a time and place for the long ball, and it is awesome when it works, but let's be honest. After beating up on JV teams the early part of the season Gilbride and Eli Manning fell in love with it. The Giants best receiver, Steve Smith, is a machine on short-to-intermediate routes. Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks are showing the ability to turn short throws into huge plays. Kevin Boss is a quality tight end. You don't have to throw the ball 40 or 50 yards downfield to make teams pay for stuffing the box or blitzing the house. Short, quick completions they can't cover -- and ones that occasionally turn into huge gains -- will do the trick. Besides, we are heading into that time of year in the Meadowlands where we know throwing the ball down the field will become more and more dicey. So, stick with what you do best, and what has the best chance to succeed.

Give me some Ramses Barden. Please. I know the third-round pick from Cal-Poly is a work in progress. And I know he has to contribute on special teams to be active on Sunday. But the guy is a 6-foot-6 physical freak, and he needs to be given an opportunity to get on the field and make a couple of plays. Even if Barden doesn't run perfect routes, I saw over and over during training camp that he can use his size and strength to make plays in traffic even when he seems covered. C'mon, now! Is Sinorice Moss really helping the special teams enough to keep Barden inactive every Sunday? I don't think so.

Unleash Danny Ware. We all love Ahmad Bradshaw, but it is plain to see that AB's foot and ankle injuries are slowing him down. His production just hasn't been the same in recent weeks. Ware has fresh legs, gobs of talent and he is dying for an opportunity. I think it's time the Giants give him one.

More Clint Sintim. During pre-season, a lot of folks thought Sintim, the second-round pick, would be the Giants rookie who had the biggest impact this season. A leg injury has derailed the young linebacker, but he is healthy now. Danny Clark might grade out OK on film, but we all know he is not a play maker. The Giants need play makers on defense right now, guys who are fast, strong, athletic and can make plays that change games. Michael Boley and Chris Canty might be those kinds of players. Sintim, too. The Giants need to get him on the field and see what he can do.

Less zone blitz. In fact, no zone blitz. Rip it out of the defensive playbook. I really, really hope that Bill Sheridan has looked at his propensity to call zone blitzes -- something he promised he would not do -- and realize that is the dumbest defense ever invented that is not called the prevent. Dropping Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora and Mathias Kiwanuka into coverage against tight ends is stupid, a recipe for failure. Let them do what they are paid to do, and what they do best, go crush some quarterbacks.

A little faith, Tom. The worst thing a head coach can do is play not to lose, rather than show faith in his eam and play to win. TC played not to lose at the end of the San Diego game, and ended up losing. If he allows the Giants to take a shot into the end zone and it doesn't work I can stomach that loss a lot easier. I also think TC's lack of faith is hurting the kicking game. Coughlin is so afraid of returns he has Jeff Feagles kicking everything out of bounds, and now Feagles -- one of the best directional punters ever -- is all screwed up. He's got Lawrence Tynes kicking squibbers and bouncers and God-awful looking kickoffs all over the place. Show a little faith in your coverage teams. And your quarterback, Tom. That's what you did in 2007. Don't show fear. Show belief.

Poll

Will the Giants make the playoffs

Yes

871 votes

No

209 votes

1080 votes | Poll has closed

'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.

View full size photo »

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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Injury Report: Chargers at Giants

John (obviousman) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:35:31 -0000

Chargers

Out

Nick Hardwick (ankle)

Doubtful

Tim Dobbins (knee)

Questionable

Kevin Burnett (ankle)

Ogemdi Nwagbuo (ankle)

Probable

Antonio Gates (foot)

Steve Gregory (ankle)

Travis Johnson (groin)

Shawne Merriman (foot)

Mike Scifres (groin)

Giants

Out

Aaron Ross (hamstring)

Questionable

Michael Boley (knee)

Chris Canty (calf)

Probable

Kevin Boss (ankle)

Ahmad Bradshaw (ankle/foot)

Mario Manningham (shoulder)

Sinorice Moss (foot)

Eli Manning (foot)

It's Friday, so Ernie P. is in the house

Ed Valentine — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:00:24 -0000

Time for my weekly visit with long-time Giants beat writer Ernie Palladino. As usual, we are both answering the same set of questions. My answers can be found over at Ernie's Giants Beat.

1. What would you do to solve the C.C. Brown problem at safety?

Ernie's Answer: "You mean short of summary execution? Kidding. Really. It was obvious from the lack of activity at the trade deadline Tuesday that either the Giants aren't interested in bringing someone new in, or that they couldn't find anything suitable for a decent price out there. So they're stuck with an existing corps that is comprised of Brown, Aaron Rouse, and Michael Johnson, and a practice-squad safety in Sha'reff Rashad. Obviously, you wouldn't want to move Rashad into a starting position, but you might move Rouse there. He's a ball-hawk kind of guy, probably a lot better in coverage than Brown. But then you'd lose the run support that Brown offers. It's been suggested that Tom Coughlin move one of the cornerbacks to safety -- perhaps Terrell Thomas -- but with Aaron Ross still out with a hamstring problem, the corners cannot be diluted. And I'm not comfortable moving Rouse, who has only been here three weeks, into a starting position. He's good enough to get more time in passing situations, so I'd use the dime more frequently and throw him in there. Aside from that, I'd just leave things the same and coach the HECK out of Brown. It's not that he doesn't have the speed. It's his coverage skills, and those can be worked on. Not a wonderful solution, but with the talent available, it's probably the best one."

2. How do you think the Giants will rebound from a terrible loss like they had in New Orleans?

Ernie's Answer: "Tom Coughlin's teams have shown nothing if not resilience. You know that cliched saying, "Never get too high after a win or get too low after a loss?" Well, this team takes it to heart. Wednesday's practice had a lot of intensity to it, so it looks like their heads are in the right place. Besides, remember what happened in 2007 after they gave up 80 points while losing the first two games? They ripped off six straight wins and seven of eight. Then they pulled a 41-17 stinker against Minnesota, righted the ship, and went to the Super Bowl. I'm willing to bet this team plays 100 percent better against Arizona Sunday. What's more -- and I'm going to go out on a hell of a limb here, I know -- I'll bet C.C. Brown has at least an acceptable outing and the defensive line gets at least two or three sacks."

3. If Anquan Boldin's ankle prevents him from playing to full strength Sunday, does the secondary have a decided edge in the passing game?

Ernie's Answer: "Not really. Larry Fitzgerald is pretty amazing. And the guy nobody seems to talk about, Steve Breaston, can make enough plays himself. So they do have weapons besides the Boldin-Fitzgerald combo. Tim Hightower is a good receiver out of the backfield with 29 catches for 228 yards. But Breaston is the real secet weapon of sorts. You may remember him from the Cardinals' comeback after the Jets put up 34 points in the second quarter. Breaston caught nine balls for 122 yards that day and has 96 catches for 1,251 yards and four touchdowns over his last 19 games. So whether Boldin is there or not, a secondary that failed miserably at the task of containing the Saints' receivers last week will again have its hands full."

4. Should the Giants reinstate Domenik Hixon as a starting wide receiver over Mario Manningham?

Ernie's Answer: "Hixon ran a bunch of nice routes and was open deep several times last week. And his three catches for 22 yards simply added to a personal 300 combined yardage day. But Manningham has become a valuable entity at receiver, showing excellent concentration and improved route-running ability. So I'd keep Manningham right where he is and let Hixon concentrate fully on his kickoff and punt return duties, which he took from the ineffective Sinorice Moss last week. Can't argue with the results there, as Hixon's seven kickoff returns for 230 yards easily surpassed Moss' 6-for-109 total for the five previous games. Hixon showed some outstanding qualities last week in hitting gaps and insisting on getting those extra yards. It's stuff you never saw from Moss. Let Hixon go out in the three or four-wide personnel groupings, but his major contributions should -- and probably will -- come on the return teams."

Thoughts from the Armchair: 5 down, 14 to go edition

Jim Schmiedeberg — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 18:01:22 -0000

Some thoughts from the armchair:

Memo to CBS and the NFL: There are a ton of former NY area residents living in South Florida. Just because the game is a blowout at halftime does not mean we'd rather watch the Steelers and Detroit freaking Lions. Thanks for making me have to dash out to this dive biker bar where I was the only one with a full set of teeth. The NFL owes me $3 for a crappy draft beer served through pipes that I believe were last cleaned during the Ford Administration.
Like that new armchair? A little classier than the old one. It can be yours for a measly $900 from NFL Shop. In my case, skip the rent payment, get a new recliner.
Let me get this straight: Ahmad Bradshaw was a SEVENTH round pick?
Sinorice Moss, I can't believe you still had a uniform in the second half.
Dan Dierdorf, I thank God everyday that I am not forced to listen to you more than once or twice a year now.
Can't say I've ever seen a player get screwed by the refs on consecutive plays before, so congrats C.C.!
Out of all the topics we discuss on this site, I don't think any of them generates more heated discussion than the play-calling. I usually try and stay out of it, because as fans, we never like the play-calling, ever, but this is something the Giants do a lot that I do not understand: on one of the many Giants' touchdown drives, they had a 3^rd and 2, and spread the field, with Eli in the shotgun. On that same drive, they had 1^st and goal from the 2, and pounded up the middle 4 times, with the final one coming on fourth down touchdown run by Bradshaw. The entire free world and at least three other planets know the Giants are going to run it up the middle, would it have killed them to try something different just once? Nitpicky I know, but its things like this that make me crazy.

More of this nonsense after the jump.....

I've seen many a bad football team in my day, but that Raider team I saw yesterday may be one of the worst. Very little talent, very little desire. It's a shame really. Love them or hate them, they were once a proud organization that other teams feared. Now they are just a laughingstock, with no end in sight.
Text message from a friend yesterday during the game: "This is like a practice scrimmage." My reply: "Yeah, against a bunch of blind nuns."
The Dallas Cowboys scored a touchdown with 2 minutes left in the game yesterday to take the lead over the winless Chiefs, and celebrated like they'd just won the Super Bowl. Congratulations Dallas, you beat a winless team that lost to Oakland. As my good friend Eddie would say, "What courage".
Coach Spags, you can't say we didn't warn ya.
My dream finish for Giants-Saints: Game tied at 24, 1 minute to play. Saints are driving; Drew Brees hits Jeremy Shockey over the middle, who is rumbling towards the end zone. He fumbles the ball; Giants recover at their own 1 yard line. On the first play from scrimmage, Eli hits Kevin Boss (who hopefully will be healthy) for a 99 yard TD reception.
We are almost a third of the way through the season, and I have to admit; now I am worried about Brandon Jacobs.
The Giants are 5-0, the New York Rangers are off to a 4-1 start, and ummmmm, oh yeah, the Yankees are in the playoffs. Pretty good time to be a NY sports fan, if you ask me.

If you aren't doing so already, you can visit me at Blueshirt Banter, the SBNation community for the New York Rangers, and don't forget Ed is talking about the Bronx Bombers at Pinstripe Alley, the SBNation Community for the New York Yankees.

'Kudos & Wet Willies': Bring on the real teams

Ed Valentine — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:00:29 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning reacts after the Giants scored a touchdown against the Oakland Raiders in the first quarter during of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009, in East Rutherford, N.J. Eli on the field was a great sight for Giants' fans.

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Thank goodness the Junior Varsity portion of the New York Giants' schedule is complete. I love winning, and I love total domination of the opposition. But, the Giants have barely been challenged for three weeks now and I am ready to see them match up with real NFL competition.

That will happen next weekend when the Giants travel to the Big Easy to taken on the New Orleans Saints. We will have all week to talk about that game, though, so let's not get ahead of ourselves.

For today, let's focus on Sunday's 44-7 pasting of the utterly inept Oakland Raiders. The best way to do that? Our traditional 'Kudos & Wet Willies' review, of course, so let's get on with it.

Kudos to ...

Eli Manning: After a week of wondering if he would play due to his plantar fasciitis, Manning was terrific. He led the Giants to four quick scores, then got out of the game to rest while David Carr and his teammates continued to beat up the Raiders. A 'kudos' to Tom Coughlin, too, for getting Eli out of there quickly and letting him rest.
Ahmad Bradshaw: Do we need to have an argument now about which guy is actually the best Giants' running back? Sunday was a great day for Bradshaw with 110 yards and two TD on 10 carries, plus a 55-yard catch and run on a perfectly executed screen pass (see, it is in KG's playbook!). Bradshaw has clearly been better than Brandon Jacobs thus far in 2009. The numbers don't lie. Bradshaw (58 carries, a team-high 375 yards, a 6.5 yards per carry average and 2 touchdowns. Jacobs (100 carries, 355 yards, 3.5 yards per carry, 1 touchdown). Clearly, when the Giants need a big play from their offense Bradshaw has to be on the field.
Justin Tuck: I think you can safely say Tuck is recovered from his shoulder injury. He was dominant Sunday with six tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Mathias Kiwanuka: Maybe Kiwi piled up some of his numbers mopping up for Tuck and Osi Umenyiora, but he had a nice day and showcased his athleticism. Five tackles, a sack and a forced fumble. Pretty good for a 'backup' defensive end.
Terrell Thomas: So, between a healthy Aaron Ross (you do remember him, right?) and Thomas who is the better player? My vote -- without question -- goes to Thomas. Yeah, the Raider offense is pitiful, but don't let that take away from how good Thomas was Sunday. The second-year corner back was all over the field, with a sack and forced fumble, a beautiful breakup of a long pass attempt, and four tackles.
Dave Tollefson: The ex-Raider practice squadder had a huge special teams tackle and absolutely crushed JaMarcus Russell for a sack. Yeah, he's not good enough to be on the Raiders' 53-man roster.
Jonathan Goff: Two or three huge hits by Goff on special teams. He is becoming quite a weapon on the coverage units for the Giants, joining guys like Chase Blackburn and Bryan Kehl in helping to turn a unit that used to be a weakness into a Giants strength.
Steve Smith: What was that about Smith not being able to catch the deep ball? That incredible catch he made on a 43-yard deep ball Sunday might put on end to that. He is having a Pro Bowl type season thus far.
Hakeem Nicks: A 17-yard touchdown catch, and four receptions for 49 yards. The No. 1 pick is quietly becoming a big piece of the Giants' passing attack.
Lawrence Tynes: Can't forget to give some props to the beleaguered kicker. After his struggles thus far in 2009, it was nice to see Tynes go 3-for-3. The kicks were of the short to mid-range variety -- 25, 33 and 37 yards -- and it was nice to see him make those comfortably. Hopefully, he can build on that and put his early-season misses behind him.

There are probably a bunch of other deserving players here, too. I can't go on forever, though, so this will have to be it.

Wet Willies to ...

Sinorice Moss: Gave the Raiders their only opportunity of the day with a completely bone-headed fumble on a punt he never should have tried to field. Even when he catches the ball, Moss' speed seemingly never translates into big plays on returns. I can't wait until the Giants get healthy enough to get him out of that role.
Gartrell Johnson: Hey, Gartrell, going the wrong way and slamming into Carr is not the impression you want to leave on TC with Danny Ware almost ready to return from his elbow injury.

Land of the Giants: Redskins DC not keeping secrets

Ed Valentine — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 13:55:48 -0000

Here are a few items to entertain you while you wait anxiously for Sunday's New York Giants - Washington Redskins season opener.

Apparently, his years inside the Beltway haven't taught Redskins defensive coordinator Greg Blache much about secrecy. His plan for stopping Brandon Jacobs and the Giants vaunted running game?

"You put eight in the box. We try and make this game more complicated than it is. Each guy’s got to win. Each guy’s got to fit where he fits. Guys stand in front of you and try to make this sound like it’s rocket science. It’s not. It still comes down to blocking and tackling. It still comes down to guys executing and guys playing together. And if we do that, we give ourselves a chance of winning," Blache said. "But there are no magic schemes, unless you know where to come up with more than 11. If we’ve got a way to get an invisible 12th, I’m listening, I’m up for it. Other than that, it’s going to come down to football players making plays when opportunity presents itself."

That goes along with what the Giants have been expecting. Blache also acknowledged the Redskin will, basically, single cover the Giants receivers and challenge them to make plays.

"When you have to take care of the run game – the quantity and quality of the run game that they have – the wideouts are going to get some minimal attention at times," said Blache. "I think it’s a great opportunity for their wideouts. I would love to be a wideout on that offense because you’re going to get some single coverage just because of all the other weapons that they have."

Speaking of those wide receivers, Tom Coughlin said this week that No. 1 draft pick Hakeem Nicks will be part of the rotation right from the beginning.

"He's involved right now in everything we're doing. We basically have four guys that will do a lot of rotating and a lot of playing."

Derek Hagan knows he won't be catching many passes early in the season, anyway. It's his coverage ability on special teams that largely earned him a roster spot. Sinorice Moss made the team, but both he and his brother, Washington's Santana Moss, are wondering what role Sinorice will play for the Giants. My guess is, not much of one. Again.
As a new season dawns, Justin Tuck is not satisfied with one Super Bowl ring.

"When you come off a Super Bowl year," he said, referring to the Giants' championship run two years ago, "you don't want to come down from that. You're up there and you're looking down on people. Why would you want to come down? I know that feeling of winning it. Walking off the field, all the confetti in your face, everyone hollering, 'We're No. 1.'"

The Giants fell short of their dreams last season, running up an 11-1 record before fading down the stretch and losing in the divisional round at home to the Eagles. They don't want another opportunity like that to slip away. After all, Tuck is looking for the kind of greatness that is measured in historical terms.

"The Patriots have been that dynasty, but we just got a piece of the pie," he said, referring to New England's run of three Super Bowl titles in a four-year span. "That team will go down in history. Everybody wants to be in that elite category."

'Kudos & Wet Willies:' Final pre-season edition

Ed Valentine — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 11:00:21 -0000

More photos » by Winslow Townson - AP

New York Giants wide receiver Sinorice Moss (83) catches a touchdown pass in front of New England Patriots safety Pat Chung (25) in the first quarter Thursday.

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OK, before I get to the good stuff I am giving myself a 'kudos.' Getting to the end of last night's Giants-Patriots exhibition was torture, but I managed. Without even falling asleep once. A miracle! Anyway, here is your final pre-season 'Kudos & Wet Willies.'

Kudos to ...

Lawrence Tynes: Might be the only time other than games after which he kicks a game-winner that a kicker will get first 'kudos.' Tynes kicked a 46-yard field goal and then made a tackle on special teams. Even more impressive for a wimpy little kicker, he threw the returner out of bounds and got himself a 15-yard penalty. Tom Coughlin won't agree, and neither would I in a regular-season game. But, it was pre-season and I enjoyed Tynes' macho moment.
Receivers: What was that about the Giants not having receivers who could make plays? There were a lot of impressive performances last night. Oh, and I said receivers because I am including tight end Kevin Boss among the impressive players. Let's look at some of the top performances.

Sinorice Moss -- Two catches for 35 yards and two touchdowns, one from Eli Manning and one from David Carr. For good measure, Moss added a 31-yard kickoff return. If this indeed was a fight to the finish between Moss and Derek Hagan, Moss wins by TKO. Hagan made a nice special teams tackle, but had just one catch for 8 yards and dropped a potential touchdown pass right on the goal line.
Domenik Hixon made just one catch, but it was a beauty. Hixon made a leaping catch while fighting off a defender for a 38-yard gain.
Hakeem Nicks had just one catch, but it went for 64 yards and a score. Nicks. also well covered, made a beautiful adjustment to the ball, snagged it and ran away from the defense.
Kevin Boss made two nice receptions on the opening scoring drive. I hope the Giants remember to make him a key part of the passing attack beginning Sept. 13 against the Redskins.
Mario Manningham had four catches for 74 yards. He ran good routes, and made the plays on everything thrown in his direction. Can't do much better than that.

William Beatty: The rookie left tackle started in place of David Diehl, played most of the way and held up well. I don't think his name was called all night, and that is a good thing.
Allen Patrick: I still don't think he has a shot at anything other than the practice squad, but he ran hard and totaled 50 yards on just 8 carries.
Antonio Pierce: For just getting on the field. Hooray!
Tutan Reyes: The veteran offensive lineman slid over to center when Adam Koets sprained an ankle, and did the job. I feel much better about the backup center position after watching that.
Travonti Johnson: One bad penalty, but eight tackles and played pretty well overall. I'm still not sold on him, but he has a good shot to be a backup safety.
David Carr: Went 6-for-6 for 153 yards and two touchdowns. Looked composed. David Philips, wherever you are, I know you are smiling.

Wet Willies to ...

DeAndre Wright: Got smoked by veteran Greg Ellis for a long pass that set up a New England touchdown late in the first half. I shouldn't worry about it, though. Wright will be lucky to get a practice squad invite.
Andre Woodson: If there was any doubt about Woodson's fate on the 53-man roster, he sealed it last night. I don't see any chance he makes the team. He threw a first-half Pick Six after locking in on his receiver, and ended up a woeful 6-for-19 for 98 yards. I can't give Rhett Bomar 'kudos,' since he was just 2-for-7 with a goal line interception in a paltry five minutes of work. Bomar, though, had three passes (two to Shaun Bodiford and one to Ramses Barden) that probably should have been completed and he ran twice for 27 yards, including a 16-yard scramble for a first down. He at least looked like a professional quarterback, seemed comfortable and showed he can make the throws.
Kenny Ingram: Made one tackle and whiffed at least twice. Before the game I thought he had a shot at the practice squad. Now, I'm not so sure.

Land of the Giants: Post-game notes and quotes

Ed Valentine — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 17:00:16 -0000

Here is some of what is being written and said in the wake of the New York Giants' 27-25 pre-season loss to the New York Jets Saturday night.

Eli Manning discussing the drops by the wide receivers. (Full transcript )

Drops are apart of football. We need to get them out of the way and keep working on them and keep throwing and some guys will make some big plays and make some great catches. Our receivers have been doing it all training camp so it’s apart of the game. You have to deal with some drops but you got to keep throwing and keep working.

Tom Coughlin (Full transcript)

On the wide receivers

There were some inconsistencies, obviously, and we can’t have that. We had some opportunities for big plays that we didn’t convert. We dropped balls, so that has to improve. I thought Hakeem Nicks played well. I thought he made some plays, he created some opportunities for us to see him and his contribution and how he might be utilized. Manningham had a couple of plays, but then he dropped a ball there on the sideline late in the game. We just keep working, what can I tell you?

On the defense

We are not anywhere near where we need to be. I think we did a little bit better, I didn’t see the stats, but I think we did a little bit better against the run, although I may be wrong there. We didn’t get the pressure on the quarterback that we would have liked to have. We gave up some plays in the secondary that we just shouldn’t give up. The one touchdown on the crossing pattern should not have happened. It was a heck of a play by the young quarterback just to stay alive, but the receiver never should have been that open.

David Carr on his touchdown passes to Hakeem Nicks (Full transcript)

The Jets were bringing pressure so we were all trying to get on the same page. They brought it so I just gave Hakeen a "go" route on the first one. He ended up going right by the guy. I just put it up and gave him a chance to make a play on the ball and he did a great job doing it. On the second one it was actually a good read by him. The corner came and the guy sat on him and he read it and ran right by him. It might have been a blown coverage but either way Hakeen read it right. It was a good play by him especially being so young in his career.

Nicks discussing the 71-yard touchdown (Full transcript)

I think that me and David (Carr) were on the same page. I read the corner blitz and the safety was flat footed to the inside, so I just converted my route to a go route and we were on the same page and just connected.

Other Notes

Sinorice Moss barely played Saturday night. And he was clearly not happy about it.
The Giants defense is still a work in progress.

'Kudos & Wet Willies:' Wide receiver edition

Ed Valentine — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 12:03:21 -0000

More photos » by Tim Larsen - AP

New York Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks runs past New York Jets cornerback James Ihedigbo for a 71-yard touchdown during the second half Saturday night.

Browse more photos »

If you watched last night's 27-25 loss by our New York Giants to the New York Jets you should be able to guess that today's 'Kudos & Wet Willies' will be dominated by two things.

Discussion of wide receivers, both good and bad.
How easily you can be misled by simply looking at the box score.

So, with that little preamble out of the way let's get to the good stuff. And, since we like good news before bad we will hand out 'Kudos' first.

Kudos to ...

Hakeem Nicks: Unquestionably the star of the game for the Giants. Just about the time you thought a Giants' wide receiver was NEVER going to make a play, the No. 1 draft pick showed up. He hauled in fourth-quarter touchdown passes of 22 yards (an amazing diving, left-handed grab in the back of the end zone while well covered), and 71 yards from David Carr. He made four other catches and finished his night with six grabs for 144 yards. Nicks' numbers don't lie -- he had a terrific game.
David Carr: Carr has not had a great pre-season, but he looked solid Saturday night. Twelve-for-21 for 181 yards and two TDs, including an impressive late scoring drive. He also ran for a pair of first downs. Carr, most impressively to me, fought his instincts to bail out of the pocket, stayed in there and made some plays. After that performance I feel better about him.
Eli Manning: Look at his numbers (9-for-21, 91 yards, one touchdown, one interception, a 51.9 rating) and you would think I was nuts putting him here. If you watched the game you know better. His day looks a lot different if Steve Smith doesn't drop a 90-yard touchdown pass, and Domenik Hixon hangs on to an easy catch that turned into a game-changing interception. Even Eli's misses were thrown properly, out of the reach of defenders. He threw the ball well. His receivers, though, didn't catch it well.
Lawrence Tynes: Made a 38-yard field goal and missed just short from 51. Can't kill him for a miss from tha distance. Tynes gets 'kudos,' primarily for his kickoffs, though. I don't remember any that weren't inside the 5-yard line, and he did get at least one kickoff into the end zone. Hopefully, he can continue that.
Danny Ware: This kid is a player. He had nine carries for 43 yards, a lot of that gained on his own, The most impressive thing he did all night was a great fourth-quarter blitz pickup to save Carr from annihilation. Don't know who Ware picked up, but he stopped the guy in his tracks.
Ahmad Bradshaw: The guy just looks dangerous. He had eight carries for 47 yards, including a 27-yarder.
Mathias Kiwanuka: His sack of Mark Sanchez was a thing of beauty, chasing him down from behind and swallowing him up like a certain No. 56 used to do. Kiwi will have a huge season spelling Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck.
Jonathan Goff: Five solo tackles for the second-year middle linebacker. That is two impressive games in a row for him.
Kevin Dockery: Played well starting at right corner for the injured Aaron Ross. Three tackles for Dockery and two passes defensed.
Derek Hagan: Two catches, both on wide receiver screens. Hagan showed the ability to get some yards after catch on both plays, ending up with 25 yards. He also worked hard to get out of bounds on one catch as the Giants were trying to rally for a late score. Finally, Hagan flashed a little of what he has been showing during practice in a real game.
Fred Robbins: Four tackles for the big defensive tackle, who looks like he is rounding into form nicely after micro-fracture knee surgery in the off season.
The first-team offensive line: Good work by that group, keeping Manning protected and opening some running lanes. Nice to see Rich Seubert and Chris Snee back on the field.

OK, now that we have gone through the good we have to get to the bad. If you watched the game, you know there was plenty of ugly stuff. Let's get to it.

Wet Willies to ...

Steve Smith: Steve, I luv ya baby, but you cannot drop perfectly thrown potential 90-yard touchdown passes when you are two steps beyond the defense. Especially not when you have been clamoring for chances to get out of the slot, and be given the opportunity to run some deep routes. Smith has shown great hands for two seasons now, but I saw him drop a couple of deep balls during camp at UAlbany. Steve, if you want the opportunity to run those routes when it counts you have to make those plays.
Domenik Hixon: A bad drop on a quick in that turned into an interception deep in Giants' territory and led to a Jets' touchdown. The miscues by the two starting receivers turned what should have been a 14-0 Giants' lead into a 7-7 tie.
Mario Manningham: I have said it before, but he has a split personality. Manningham did have four catches for 41 yards, ran some nice routes and made some nice plays. But he dropped a beautiful pass from Carr that hit him right in the numbers and should have been a 30-40-yard gain, and nearly misjudged a punt he had to make an awkward catch. Mario seems to be a 'kwillie,' player -- a thrill-a-minute guy who can keep both teams in the game at the same time.
C.C. Brown: Can we please, please, PRETTY PLEASE Uncle Coughlin, find a way to get this guy off the team? For the love of good defense. And my blood pressure! This guy is AWFUL! Sure, he had five tackles. If he had made all the tackles he should have, however, he would have had eight or nine. On top of which, he is clueless in pass coverage. Brown was waaayyy out of position on Mark Sanchez' 31-yard touchdown pass to Chansi Stuckey, leaving him wide open. Then, of course, missing the tackle when he finally did get there. Paging Sha'reef Rashad. Or Vince Anderson. Or anyone else, for that matter.
DeAndre Wright: The rookie sixth-round pick got himself all turned around, then fell on the field in a heap on Erik Ainge 70-yard touchdown pass to Aundrae Allison late in the fourth quarter. Probably appropriate, though, since I think Wright's chance to make the team crashed to the ground as soon as he did.
Sinorice Moss: I don't remember him doing anything well. I do remember him failing to catch a punt at the 20-yard line that ended up rolling dead at the 1.

-- Jets vs Giants recap