SB Nation - Antonio Pierce

Ernie P. is in the house

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

New York Giants Notebook: 12-3-09

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

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

Browse more photos »

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ernie Palladino's Giants Beat: Goff Starting

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The VRR: Cowboys Look to Win their Last Game at Giants Stadium

Aaron Novinger — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:16:43 -0000

More photos » by Erich Schlegel - AP

Let the intensity begin! On Sunday, Flozell Adams and Miles Austin will look to win one last time at Giants Stadium.

Browse more photos »

The bad blood runs thick through the NFC East. Sure, it was tense two weeks ago when the Redskins paid their first visit to Cowboys Stadium. After managing a 7-6 win, and then feasting on the beleaguered Raiders, the Cowboys now find themselves looking down in the division at the 6-5 Giants.

This 2009 version of the Giants began the season with five straight victories - their second, coming at the expense of the Cowboys to open Cowboys Stadium. On Sunday, the Cowboys can atone for that 31-33 loss by winning their final game at Giants Stadium, which would push the Giants down to a paltry .500 record.

Playing the Redskins and Eagles are always intense matchups for the Cowboys. But recently, these games against the Giants have seen a noticeable uptick in rivalry ratings. Maybe it's because Tony Romo has won both of his career starts at Giants Stadium. Maybe it's because of Brandon Jacobs' penchant for trash-talking. That 2007 playoff loss certainly still stings the Cowboys.

Whatever caused this recent rivalry surge has created an infamy monster that continues to grow. Expect it to do so as long as guys like Romo and Jacobs, Bradie James and Eli Manning, DeMarcus Ware and David Diehl, Patrick Crayton and Corey Webster, remain with their respective teams.

Flozell Adams and Justin Tuck, anyone?

More VRR after the jump.

Bradie James takes on the December grumblings, and wants badly to beat the Giants.

"The truth is the truth,'' he said. "What I've learned is no matter what your season is individually - you can have one of the best seasons of your career - if you lose and don't go to the playoffs, you're going to get criticized. Nobody is exempt from the criticism if you don't take care of business in December and go to the playoffs and do what we need to do. That's what time it is now. That's what we've got to do.''

Apparently, the insults from the teams' first meeting this season are still evident.

As if all that wasn't bad enough, James said Manning rubbed it in by scribbling his name and adding the score, the date and the words "First Win in the New Stadium'' on a concrete column in the visitors' locker room. James hasn't seen it, but he's seen a picture and is convinced it's real. True or not, it's being used as motivation.

"We won't forget that,'' James said. "It just makes for a more intense game.''

With the Giants moving into a new stadium next season, this almost certainly will be the Cowboys' final appearance at Giants Stadium. So is James bringing a pen to leave his own mark on the visiting locker room walls?

"I don't know, I might,'' he said. "I just want to win and that's it. I'll let our playing do all the talking. That's it. ... I don't care if it's by 30 or if it's by a point, we just have to take care of business and get rid of these guys right now.''

We can all talk about the Cowboys' December woes until we're blue in the face. Speaking of blue, the Giants have been pretty horrible in recent Decembers, too.

New York has not been good in December the past two seasons. The Giants were 1-3 in the final four regular-season games in 2007, when they won the Super Bowl, and they went 2-3 to close out last season with an NFC-best 12-4 overall mark.

Stopping the run could be the key to a Dallas victory.

When Tom Coughlin’s Giants run for at least 100 yards, they are 40-19. They are 13-19 when they don’t. In winning five consecutive games to start the season, the Giants averaged 160.4 yards on the ground. The past six games, New York has averaged only 98.8 yards rushing, with a high of 141 against the Eagles. The Giants had a season-low 57 rushing yards last week against the Broncos, a week after gaining only 88 yards against the Atlanta Falcons.

The Giants are still good at controlling the ball. The Cowboys have to counter that by taking it away.

The Giants (6-5) have lost five of their last six games but still own one of the most productive offenses. They rank second in yardage (374.7) and are tied for eighth in scoring (24.7) even with quarterback Eli Manning fighting foot issues.

"They're going to run to try to win games, control the ball," Phillips said. "I think they're in the top three or four in the league in time of possession. I think their philosophy is still the same whether they run it for enough yardage or not, but they've got good backs and a really good offensive line."

An area for defensive improvement - and one that will aid the Cowboys' offense - is more takeaways. The Cowboys' 13 (seven interceptions, six fumble recoveries) are tied with Washington for last in the league.

If the Giants focus their blocking assignments towards DeMarcus Ware, Coach Phillips will have to again be creative with how he uses his best pass rusher.

Phillips has tried to help Ware by moving him around to avoid the thicket of blockers. Ware rushed from the left side instead of his usual right side a significant number of times during the Thanksgiving win against Oakland. He has also blitzed as a middle linebacker and, as a change of pace, dropped into pass coverage on a few plays.

Ware's approach has broadened, too. Ware is not always a speed rusher trying to go around a blocker. He has slanted inside at times, allowing the tackle to go to the outside. That stunt led to Stephen Bowen's deflection of a Jason Campbell pass that led to a win-sealing interception against Washington.

"We want to keep them honest," Ware said. "If I just go outside, they'll be waiting on me. I don't want to be predictable."

Unless defensive coordinator, Bill Sheridan, can turn things around for his unit, the Giants' search to replace Steve Spagnuolo will continue.

The first logical replacement is Dick Jauron, fired nine games into this season as head coach of the Bills and someone with strong ties to Tom Coughlin, who in 1995 hired Jauron to run the expansion Jaguars defense.

A more interesting choice - certainly more intriguing to Giants ownership - is John Fox, who likely is to be a free agent if the Panthers continue their downward spiral.

When the Giants placed MLB, Antonio Pierce (bulging disk in neck), on IR, they lost a strong amount of leadership on defense.

So strong, in fact, that many players have said he was the true leader of the defense even when Michael Strahan was around. Strahan may have been revered, but Pierce had more of a connection with his teammates. The linebacker set the tone for the team, which usually rode the enormous chip on his shoulder, and it always looked to him when things got rough.

Who's that type of leader now? There might not be an answer. Justin Tuck, valiantly trying to play through shoulder and leg injuries, seems to prefer to lead by example. Osi Umenyiora, who once walked out on his defensive coordinator and team in a huff earlier this season, tried to fire up his team in Denver, but his effort looked more like an angry rant.

New York may look to second-year man, Jonathan Goff, to be Pierce's replacement.

Eli Manning has been playing with an injured foot and claims that it's getting better.

He's suffering from a stress reaction in his right foot, which previously had plantar fasciitis. Some reports say this could lead to further damage. But he claims the injury has no effect on his throwing. And he's doing his best to downplay the issue.

``The foot feels great, it really does,'' he said after Wednesday's practice. ``It feels better than it ever has since i originally injured it.''

Brandon Jacobs and rookie Gartrell Johnson may be the only tailbacks healthy enough to play for the Giants.

Ahmad Bradshaw and Danny Ware both missed practice on Wednesday, and are looking increasingly doubtful for Sunday's division showdown with Dallas at the Meadowlands. Bradshaw is struggling to return from a foot and ankle injury that kept him out of Thursday's Thanksgiving Day loss to the Denver Broncos.

Ware, a rookie, suffered a concussion during that loss and, given the NFL's newly adopted, suddenly strict policy concerning injuries of this sort, a weekend return seems unlikely.

Ken Hamlin's high ankle sprain kept him from practicing Wednesday, which indicates that Alan Ball will start his third consecutive game at free safety.

Trainers said last week Hamlin could possibly return to practice Wednesday, but he has yet to make enough progress, and spent the team's practice time rehabbing, the same as Monday.

OLB Victor Butler, who sprained his knee against the Raiders, practiced yesterday and expects to play Sunday.

Butler fully participated in practice and said he is ready to play Sunday against the Giants.

"It’s as good as it needs to be," said Butler, who has three sacks this season. "... I’m good to go."

Here is the updated injury report from DC.com.

What the Folk is up with Nick? The Dallas kicker says there is no excuse for his recent misses.

Folk has missed four of his last eight attempts and has at least one miss in each of the last three games. But Phillips said he's not worried.

"A guy that has a strong mind-set like he does will improve and keep working and won't go into a slump where he's really kicking it bad," Phillips said.

Offseason hip surgery prevented Folk from doing much kicking until the start of training camp, but he isn't using it as an excuse. "Physically, I'm fine," Folk said. He also isn't blaming new holder Mat McBriar, although McBriar said poor holds caused two misses. "I don't want to put blame on anyone else," Folk said. "I just have to get it right ... and make a good playoff run."

Mike Florio posits that the NFL Network may be "pressured" into simulcasting the Week 15 Cowboys @ Saints game.

For a chance to win SuperBowl tickets, vote on Sprint's "Can't-Miss Plays of Week 12". There are not any Cowboys' choices, but there is an anti-Giants one: Brandon Marshall's one-hander last Thursday night at Mile High.

Pro Bowl: Vote for Miles Austin!

Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald is first with over 500,000 votes, and Philadelphia's DeSean Jackson is second with 293,408 votes. Austin is third with 261,107 votes.

Hat tip to scottmaui for his FanPost.

Sam Hurd can use some of our support in the ST department, as well.

Also, it's worth noting that Sam Hurd is second in voting among special teamers. The Vikings' Heath Farwell has 103,215 votes; Hurd has 70,647.

ProBowl ballot link.

Where have the Giants gone?

Ed Valentine — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:41:08 -0000

Gary Myers of the New York Daily News wrote this morning that the season is already over for our New York Giants. I know many of you agree, and I am not exactly optimistic about the Giants playoff chances myself. Not the way things have gone for this team.

Here is how Myers put it.

The Giants have turned this into a forgettable season. They've lacked their trademark resilience, don't fight through adversity, no longer impose their will. They don't look anything like the team that won the Super Bowl two years ago.

Now they face a two-week battle for playoff survival against the hated Cowboys and Eagles.

There's no indication they have it in them to reach down deep, show some of the old Giants pride and put this season back together. That means by the time they absorb the one-two punch from the Cowboys and Eagles in back-to-back home games, they will be knocked out of the NFC East race and hanging on the ropes in the wild-card fight.

The flip side of the whole thing is that if the Giants somehow find a way to beat both Dallas and Philadelphia the next two weeks they would be 8-5, and would have a pretty good shot at a playoff berth with three games left.

Here is Eli Manning talking about what the Giants need to do beginning this week.

"There has to be a sense of urgency. We don’t have time to kind of figure out and slowly become a better team and take strides. We have to make a jump, jump back to playing good football. We have done it. Versus Atlanta offensively, we played great football. We looked sharp, we were on top of things and we’ve got to get back to playing like that," Manning said. "Sometimes we are going to falter and we have a lot, but we are still capable of beating teams and playing at a high level. We have to stick with it, stick with each other. It’s going to be about the players and the coaches all coming together, trusting each other and going out there and just doing it."

By the way, Myers mentioned one other thing in his story today that we should all keep in mind. Only the Colts (seven straight) have more consecutive playoff appearances than the Giants (four). So, if the Giants don't get this turned around this year and they fall short of the playoffs, we really don't have that much to complain about.

We have had it good for a while now, and every team suffers an off year once in a while. Just keep that in mind.

Other Notes

In a release from the Giants, Antonio Pierce spoke about being placed on Injured Reserve.

"The doctors have told me that given my current condition, the risk of playing is too great, regardless of how I feel physically," Pierce said. "That is the most disappointing part of this, because I feel great and have no pain. But I will keep my head up and be there the rest of the way to do my part to keep the boys going."

Ernie Palladino polled his readers regarding what to do about defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan. The results were mixed.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

New York Giants News & Notes: Ugly Loss Hangover

cjmulrain — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 18:00:26 -0000

I've remained pretty optimistic about the Giants all season, thinking there was no way that the team which looked so good in going 5-0 could really be as bad as they looked against the Saints and the Eagles. Tough losses to the Cardinals and Chargers didn't even bother me as much as they otherwise would, because the Giants easily could have won those games. But the loss to the Broncos is the worst yet, and has me doubting whether the Giants are even a playoff team, let alone a Super Bowl team. The Giants have 10 days until a make or break game against the Cowboys with their season quite literally on the line.

Tom Coughlin was not happy with the loss. He seems most disappointed in the Giants inability to control the running game on both sides of the ball:

"As I said last night, football to me is that you have to run the ball and stop the run. Those are the first things you do have to do to put yourself in a position to be able to take advantage of the various aspects of your plans and your talent. When you don’t do that you’re really putting a magnifying glass on some of these other aspects of the game. It’s not surprising sometimes that it doesn’t come out well. As I said last night, we did not stop the run. We didn’t give ourselves opportunities to run the ball because there really wasn’t much continuity. We didn’t have a lot of opportunities. We didn’t make a lot of first downs, we didn’t do a lot of the things that we knew were the reasons that people had defeated Denver in the last four games were because of, we didn’t do those things."

Shaun O'Hara thinks the problem is that the Giants aren't running the ball enough:

"The only way, in my eyes, to get back on track is to keep doing it and do it more. I think, as offensive linemen, we are always going to complain that we aren’t running the football enough. That is kind of our M.O. We want to run the ball more. Quarterbacks and receivers, we are going to have discussions with them every single day, they want to throw it, we want to run it. That is a constant battle. I am not going to be happy until we have 35-40 carries in a game."

On the defensive side of the ball, Barry Cofield thinks the problem is individual responsibility, not the coaching scheme:

"I’m a guy who always leans towards individual accountability. Guys just have to make plays. Guys have to be in their gaps. There were instances last night where guys weren’t where they were supposed to be. Guys weren’t necessarily making the plays on the ball that they should have. Guys weren’t beating their guys upfront."

Tim Smith of the Daily News says that the Giants are becoming a disgrace. Hey, it could be worse - they could be one of the NY/NJ area basketball teams.
Danny Ware's fumble cost the Giants big time on Thursday.
Antonio Pierce saw a neck specialist who confirmed that he has a bulging disk, meaning his season still hangs in the balance.
On the coaching front, Gary Myers says that the Tom Coughlin must be held accountable for the Giants collapse, and Jay Greenberg thinks the Giants should fire Bill Sheridan immediately. I have to say that I can't totally disagree with either of them.
Giants (and apparently De La Salle) great Amani Toomer has seemingly called it quits. I liked his quote about his short stint with the Chiefs:

"I played 13 years in a great organization like the Giants. I was in a preseason game with Kansas City and it felt like it wasn't pro football to me"

Horse Tracks 11/26/09 - Dawkins probable; Harris, Jordan out as Broncos host Giants tonight

Douglas A. Lee — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 17:05:59 -0000

Happy Thanksgiving, MHR Friends! Apologies for the late post, but my wife and I are under the weather here and missing out on the festivities today. Of course, we'll be watching plenty of football (and Marquette Basketball) today. Best wishes for a happy and healthy holiday - be safe, don't drink and drive. Most importantly, be thankful for everything you have! I'm thankful for so many things, including being a part of this community here! Go Broncos!!!!

DB - Matchup: Broncos vs. Giants - Broncos TV

DB - A Closer Look: New York Giants - Gray Caldwell

DB - Tickets Available for Giants Game - Chris Gentilviso
I just checked - there are still some available...

DB - Week 12 - Wed: McDaniels - Broncos TV

LTC - Giant Task - Brian Howell

DPP - Teen catches a break when Marshall becomes his guardian - Lindsay Jones

DPP - Scouting report: Giants at Broncos - Jeff Legwold

DPP - Analysis: Giants' running game to test Broncos' defense - Jeff Legwold

DPP - Briefs: Orton expected to get the start - Mike Klis

CSG - Harris to miss another game for Broncos - Frank Schwab

DPP - Q&A: Next year's QB draft class far from dandy - Jeff Legwold

NYT - N.F.L.’s Moves Signal a Truce on Concussions - Alan Schwarz

DB - Week 12 - Wed: Bailey - Broncos TV

NFLN - Top 5 Broncos moments in Denver - Video
This is a strange list...

NFLN - WK 12 Playbook: Giants vs. Broncos - Video

NFLN - Giants vs. Broncos discussion - Video

NFLN - Broncos on Thanksgiving - Video
Tony Scheffler and Elvis Dumervil talk about Thanksgiving and which Bronco player would eat the most.

DB - This Week in Gameday: Always On Call - Chris Gentilviso

DB - Committed to Communication - Chris Gentilviso

DPP - Dawkins brings team together - Mike Klis

DPP - Running game holds the key for Broncos - Dave Krieger

DPP - Woody's Mailbag: Simms' state of mind

CSG - Losing streaks make NFL life miserable - Frank Schwab

CSG - Top 10: Worst draft picks - Frank Schwab

CBS4 - Broncos' McBath Enjoys A Great Rookie Year - Jesse Sarles

AP - Broncos try to end 4 game skid - Arnie Stapleton

FH - Slumping Broncos Search for Answers - Nancy Gay

ESPN - Giants-Broncos - Bill Williamson

ESPN Insider - Giants-Denver: 10 observations - Jeremy Green
Giants 20, Broncos 17

Giants News

NYT - Giants’ Holiday Rituals Don’t Often Include Playing - Joe LaPointe

NYDN - One-game run has Giants ready to feast on slumping Broncos on Thanksgiving - Ralph Vacchiano

NYDN - Injured, inactive Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce could be on sideline in Denver - Ralph Vacchiano

NYP - Playoff-hopeful Giants set for blundering Broncos - Paul Schwartz

NYP - Blackburn glad to get extra reps - Paul Schwartz

NYP - A Dirty job made for Manning - Steve Serby

Thanksgiving Day Previews

NYT - Thursday’s N.F.L. Matchups - Mike Tanier

NFP - The Player's Turkey Day Picks - Matt Bowen
Giants 27 Broncos 23

SI - NFL, Thanksgiving go hand-in-hand - Ross Tucker

SN - Danger zone: Beware the underdogs on Thanksgiving Day - Clifton Brown

FH - Thursday-and-Long: Green Bay Should Give Thanks for Aaron Rodgers - Dan Graziano

SI - City of Detroit needs Lions to continue to play on Thanksgiving - Michael Rosenberg

FOX - Countdown: Lions aim to protect Thanksgiving slot - John Czarnecki

AFC West News

SFC - Raiders' Ellis teaches life in trenches online - David White

OT - The Raiders' Shane Lechler takes aim at Cowboys Stadium big board - Steve Corkran

OT - Oakland Raiders finally make it to Thanksgiving Day celebration - Steve Corkran

SDUT - Congress can wait for Bolts' Runyan - Kevin Acee

SDUT - Chambers returns to challenge old friends - Chris Jenkins

SDUT - Blackout still looming as deadline nears - Kevin Acee

FH - Anatomy of a Play: One Blitz Paid Off Twice for the Chiefs - JJ Cooper

KCS - Chiefs’ Chambers out to prove Chargers made a mistake in letting him go - Adam Teicher

KCS - Chiefs lose another safety - Kent Babb

NFL News

NFL - Shanahan spends much of Tuesday talking to Bills - Jason La Canfora

USAT - Jim Kelly: Bills should move on from Edwards, target Tebow - Jim Corbett

PFW - Source: Bears surveying coaching landscape - Dan Arkush

NFL Opinion

PFW - 2010 AFC free-agent preview

PFW - 2010 NFC free-agent preview

CBS - Skirting issue? Nah, NFL doing right thing in protecting QBs - Clark Judge

NFL - QBs will dominate the MVP race, but others also deserve credit - Steve Wyche

NFL - Power outage in NFC East could lead to frantic finish - Vic Carucci

Y! - Trio of rushers a reason to give thanks - Charles Robinson

FOX - Breaking down the NFL's playoff contenders - Alex Marvez

FOX - NFL Truths: Don't get too excited about Young yet - Jason Whitlock

NFP - Wednesday whys: Tough questions on head trauma - Andrew Brandt

NFP - It's 'go' time for agents - Jack Bechta

NFP - Tavern talk: Thankful for Titans’ Johnson - Mike Lombardi

NFP - Diner morning news: Lions have a foundation - Mike Lombardi

ESPN - Jim Caldwell is the Indianapolis Colts' invisible man - Elizabeth Merrill

NYT - The Anatomy of a (Fourth-Down) Decision - Frank Frigo

SI - Patriots at Saints - Adam Duerson

NFP - News, notes on draft prospects - Wes Bunting

Picks/Polls, Etc.

SN - Week 12 NFL picks: Pats no Big Easy matchup for Saints - Vinnie Iyer

FOX - Week 12 Cheat Sheet: NFL picks and predictions - Peter Schrager

SI - The Peter King Challenge
"Prediction: New York Giants 27, Denver Broncos 20"

SI - Chargers climb into top five - Don Banks

Bonus Giants notes: Boley, Pierce, Blackburn

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

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

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

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

Ernie P. time comes early this week

Ed Valentine — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:00:15 -0000

With the short week, Ernie Palladino and I traded answers to a common set of questions a couple of days early. Here are Ernie's answers to this week's questions. My answers, of course, can be found at Ernie's Giants Beat.

1. So, you ready to launch Lawrence Tynes yet, or at least after Thanksgiving?

Ernie's Answer: I don't know. I honestly don't know. This guy's got me so torn. The kickoffs are short. He's 50-50 to make the chip shots, and then he wins you a game. Sunday's 36-yarder made two game-winning field goals for him this year (remember Dallas?). So one part of me says, get rid of the guy. The other says the guys on the street are just as inconsistent. That's why they don't have jobs in the first place. So, I'll fall back on the same old song I've been singing since my people started crying for his head after that first short miss against the Cowboys: Until he costs you a game outright, you have to stick with him. But if I were Tom Coughlin, I'd be perusing that short list awful closely the rest of the season.

2. Did the Giants turn the corner with their overtime win against Atlanta?

Ernie's Answer: No. They just dodged a bullet. They've got to show me they can win consecutive games before I start believing they've truly turned things around, either on the offense or the defense. In fact, the way this defense has played the last two games, they should be 5-5 right now. Couldn't stop a thing in the second half against Atlanta, and that late, winning touchdown against San Diego was disgraceful regardless of how questionable Bill Sheridan's playcalling was. There comes a point where a player needs to make a play despite the Xs and Os of the situation, and the Giants aren't doing that. Offensively, I guess you can say Eli Manning has come around. He's had two nice games in a row, so let's not blame the Giants' troubles on him. But the fact is they're still not running the ball enough. And if they keep forcing Eli to rely on the deep throw, they could be in for more trouble. Beat Denver, and then we'll talk about corners and busting up the league.

3. Though Chase Blackburn did a credible job filling in for Antonio Pierce at MLB, is he a long-term answer there?

Ernie's Answer: Oddly enough, he might be. The guys in the locker room talk about him with a lot of reverence, regarding him as a grossly underrated player. They like his motor, say he's always prepared, studies the game, and they love his aggressiveness. Remind you of a younger version of somebody else? No. Not me. I didn't say anything about looks. I'm thinking Antonio Pierce here. If Blackburn can stay healthy, I think he can serve as Pierce's successor very easily. And remember, we still don't know what Jonathan Goff can do. The coaches like his speed, and he's been tearing it up on specials this year. So between the two of them, the Giants may not have a pressing need at linebacker moving past this season. As for the rest of the current schedule, I was impressed with how Blackburn jumped in on short notice and did a decent job. I have no reason to believe he'll be anything but solid in the middle.

4. Now that Aaron Ross has taken some playing time at safety, would you start him there?

Ernie's Answer: I think that's the next step, but not yet. I'd like to see him play a whole half there against Denver in place of Aaron Rouse. See how he holds up there, and then start him against Dallas providing he's healthy and mobile enough. Ross didn't look bad at all in his work Sunday. He made four tackles in playing mostly in the fourth quarter. At that time, he was arguably the best defensive back on the field, given that Rouse was bouncing people around late and Bruce Johnson was chasing third receiving option around willy-nilly. Let's face it, the secondary needs help. Terrell Thomas and Corey Webster are their two best corners right now, deservedly so. So let Ross play some safety and, if he feels good enough, slip him in as a nickelback, since he has experience playing the slot receiver. He's got a whole season to make up for, so use him.

New York Giants @ Denver Broncos; Monday Injury Report

Tim Lynch — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:57:54 -0000

DENVER BRONCOS
Player	Injury	Mon. Participation*	Tue. Participation	Wed. Participation	Wednesday Status
Brian Dawkins (S)	Neck	Did Not Participate
Ryan Harris (RT)	Toe	Did Not Participate
LaMont Jordan (RB)	Back	Did Not Participate
Kyle Orton (QB)	Ankle	Full Participation
NEW YORK GIANTS
Player	Injury	Mon. Participation*	Tue. Participation	Wed. Participation	Wednesday Status
Antonio Pierce (LB)	Neck	Out
Ahmad Bradshaw (RB)	Ankle/Foot	Did Not Participate
Eli Manning (QB)	Foot	Full Participation

* Please note the Denver Broncos did not practice on Monday. The Level of participation is an estimation if practice were held. Meanwhile, the New York Giants held a jog through for their Monday practice.