SB Nation - Rich Seubert

'Kudos & Wet Willies:' Total domination edition

Ed Valentine — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 12:16:55 -0000

There are a lot of reasons to feel good this morning if you are a New York Giants fan. Monday night's 45-12 thrashing of the Washington Redskins was the most complete game the Giants have played in more than two months -- since a 44-7 pounding of Oakland in Week 5.

Everything worked. The offense did what it wanted, marching up and down the field with relative ease. The defense dominated, looking like the group we expected to see all season. The special teams were good, showing improvements in both coverage and kick returns.

If only the Saints had beaten the Cowboys then this morning would be absolutely perfect. Let's just hope the Giants can carry the kind of performance they displayed Monday night through the final two weeks of the regular season.

By the way, ESPN flashed a stat during the game showing the 45 points was the most the Giants had scored in a road game in 55 years. Yes, 55 years. It was that kind of night.

Now, let's get on with the weekly 'Kudos & Wet Willies.'

Kudos to ...

I could just say 'Kudos to the entire team' and leave it at that. But, that would be too easy. So, here we go.

Eli Manning: All of the gushing over Manning by ESPN's Jon Gruden aside, Manning was fabulous Monday night. He went 19-for-26 for 268 yards and three touchdowns, and was in complete control of the game. Ten different receivers caught passes for the Giants, another indication that Eli did pretty much what he wanted.
The defensive line: The much-maligned defensive line. This group led the defensive charge, handing Redskin quarterback Jason Campbell a brutal beating. Campbell probably deserves a 'kudos' for just standing in there and taking the five sacks and I have no idea how many hard hits. Osi Umenyiora was as active as he has probably been all season. Justin Tuck had a sack and a forced fumble. Mathias Kiwanuka had five tackles and was constantly around Campbell. Defensive tackles Fred Robbins and Barry Cofield joined the sack party, and along with Chris Canty were solid against the run.
The offensive line: Probably the best indicator that Monday was a Giant-like performance is that 'kudos' go to both lines. The offensive line was terrific against the Redskins. Lots of pulling, some space for the running game and plenty of time most of the night for Manning to work his magic against the Washington secondary. Special 'kudos' to rookie Will Beatty and backup guard Kevin Boothe. Beatty did an outstanding job filling in for the injured Kareem McKenzie. I can't remember a play where he was beaten badly all night. Boothe stepped in when Rich Seubert went out with a knee sprain and also played well aside from being overpowered by Albert Haynesworth on one play. Absolutely loved his work on Ahmad Bradshaw's second touchdown, pulling left in front of the play and wiping out two Redskins defenders with one block to allow Bradshaw to walk untouched into the end zone.
Kevin Gilbride: The first Giants play of the night was a nicely executed screen pass to reserve tight end Bear Pascoe. From there, pretty much everything Gilbride dialed up -- with the exception of one reverse to Hakeem Nicks -- worked brilliantly. KG can have games where he makes you crazy, but he can also have games like Monday night where he seems to push the right button on every play call. Loved the screens, the fact that so many receivers caught passes, and the subtle changes in formations and run-blocking schemes that helped create some running lanes even against Washington's eight-man fronts.
Bill Sheridan: Not sure exactly what clicked for the beleaguered Giants' defensive coordinator, but when the defense applies that much pressure on the quarterback, plays with that much energy and ends up with a Pick Six you have to give him some credit. It seemed like the Giants simplified their schemes a little, and there wasn't any of the confusion we have so often seen this season.
Terrell Thomas: A Pick Six (an easy one), two passes defensed and four tackles for Thomas. He was excellent against the pass and in run support.
Jonathan Goff: A pair of tackles, his first career sack and a couple of other quarterback pressures, and a pass defensed for the young middle linebacker. The kid can play a little bit.
Ahmad Bradshaw: When Bradshaw is making plays like he did Monday night the Giants offense is much more explosive. Nine carries for 61 yards (6.8 yards per carry) and two touchdowns, along with three pass receptions for 29 more yards.
Lawrence Tynes and the kickoff coverage group: Some good, deep kickoffs by Tynes (including one into the end zone). Odds are that had a lot to do with the best kickoff coverage the Giants have displayed in quite a while, surrendering no returns longer than 21 yards.

'Wet Willies' to ...

Yes, I was able to find one 'Wet Willie' to hand out. And, honestly, it's given more for stupidity than for performance.

Brandon Jacobs: What the heck was Jacobs thinking, getting himself involved in a second-half melee that saw him trading punches with a couple of Washington players and -- eventually -- squared off with Haynesworth of all people? Amazingly, Jacobs escaped an ejection or a penalty, both of which he probably deserved. He won't escape a hefty fine from the league, and probably a tongue-lashing from coach Tom Coughlin for his lack of composure. On top of that, Jacobs did not have a great night carrying the ball. On a night where there were big plays all over the Giants offense, Jacobs carried 16 times for 52 yards, a pedestrian 3.3 yards per carry.

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

New York Giants notes: Seubert finally admits playing hurt

Ed Valentine — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 12:00:30 -0000

by LM Otero - AP

Rich Seubert

View full size photo »

Here are a few stories to keep you entertained as you wait ... and wait ... and wait for tonight's Monday Night Football kickoff.

Let's start with this. I have suspected it since training camp, when New York Giants guard Rich Seubert skipped several days of practice, and we have discussed many times the possibility that Seubert has been been playing hurt. Seubert has not appeared on the Giants' injury report at all this season, but Mike Garafolo has finally gotten Seubert to admit he is playing with a shoulder injury.

"It feels good. I’m out there playing," Seubert said. "I’m an O-linemen. I’ve been through worse. Something isn’t going to keep me out until the coaches say I can’t play anymore."

Seubert has not had a good season, by his standards, and Garafolo reported that offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride knows Seubert is not 100 percent.

"I don’t want to make it a sob story, but he has my admiration the way he fights through that stuff," Gilbride said. ""He won’t even mention it. He doesn’t want to talk about it. Let’s just move on."

More injury news

Ralph Vacchiano reports that offensive tackle Kareem McKenzie and cornerback Corey Webster did not make the trip to Washington and will not play. On the plus side, Aaron Ross expects to play. Let's just hope Ross doesn't pull up lame while chasing a receiver down the field and surrender a big play.

Smith's dreams coming true

For Steve Smith, who has already set the Giants' single-season receiving record, his personal accomplishments this season are beyond even what he hoped for.

"I said before the season I wanted to have one of the greatest Giants seasons ever," Smith said. "And I didn't really realize that it could come true."

A little more than a year since Burress shot himself in the thigh before a game against the Redskins last November, the Giants return to Washington tomorrow night with a receiver who's having a record-setting season. Smith enters the game, now more crucial to Big Blue after the Cowboys ended the Saints' perfect season Saturday night, with 85 receptions, tied for fifth-most in the NFL with Arizona's superstar receiver Larry Fitzgerald. Smith, who has more catches than stars such as Houston's Andre Johnson and New England's Randy Moss, already has topped Amani Toomer's single-season team record of 82 catches set back in 2002 and needs just 15 more catches to reach 100 with three games remaining. That would be a remarkable achievement considering few figured Smith or any of the Giants' receivers would be able to fill the huge void left by Burress.

"All the naysayers and all the things we were hearing all season long ... it's not that people didn't believe, they just didn't know about us," Smith said. "We all had confidence and knew what we could do. We had a quiet confidence amongst ourselves. It is just about opportunity."

Despite not being nearly as big nor as fast as Burress, the 5-11 Smith has become Eli Manning's go-to guy. Smith has 1,053 yards receiving and five touchdowns. While rookie Hakeem Nicks and wide receiver Mario Manningham have proven to be explosive playmakers, Smith has been the rock of the receiving corps.

"I am not surprised," Manning said of his new favorite target. "I knew Steve would have a great year going into his third year. He has always been a key guy on third down working in the slot and moving him around. I knew when he became the starter, being on the field for every play, he was going to emerge and step up and make some outstanding plays for us."

About those Cowboys

Like it or not, the Cowboys were extremely impressive in beating New Orleans Saturday night. Via Twitter, Ian O'Connor opined that they looked like a certain team from 2007.

Could it be that 2009 Dallas is 2007 Giants? Head coach and QB on the brink before very late season run makes everyone a forever hero.

Peter King said it was the performance the Cowboys had been hoping for all season.

Other notes

Former Giants coach Jim Fassel is reportedly a candidate for the Oakland job if the Raiders fire Tom Cable. Fassel has been down this road before, with both Oakland and Washington. I have never understood why he hasn't been given another opportunity. I still think he deserves one.
Mike Shanahan seems next in line for the Redskins job. The D.C. Sports Bog (yes, Bog) summarizes the various reports circulating about Shanahan.
I missed it the other day, but Dec. 18 marked the 75th anniversary of the famous 'sneakers game.'

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

What the Giants and Eagles are saying about Sunday's game

Ed Valentine — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 16:30:14 -0000

Here is some of what the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles players and coaches are saying about Sunday night's 45-38 Philadelphia victory. Be sure to check the 'Transcripts' page for complete interviews, provided by the Giants PR staff.

Here are a couple of snippets from Tom Coughlin's post-game presser.

On the loss.

"Disappointing loss. We worked hard, we prepared hard. I told the players, every guy wanted to do well. It didn’t work out that way for some. I was disappointed at the number of balls that were out on the ground. That is not what we preach and there we go. I think we were minus-three in turnovers and they capitalized," Coughlin said. "We still have a lot to play for and that is the way it is going to be. Obviously each game is extremely important and we’ve got to get ourselves ready to go to Washington next Monday night."

On the touchdown pass to DeSean Jackson.

"Should have covered him. Basically you have a two-man pattern. They blocked it up well. They protected, you know which, they maximum protected. I think it was a two receiver route. Threw the ball way down the field similar to the one they did to us over there before the half. Very, very disturbing."

On the porous pass defense.

"I didn’t think there was much pressure on the quarterback. We did not cover very well and we didn’t cover for very long. We keep trying to maneuver people in and out of different spots to try and come up with a better answer. We will just have to keep doing it. Of course, (Corey) Webster was out of the game there at the end of the game, too, and that didn’t help," Coughlin said. "You just keep working at it. Take a look at personnel. We will do the evaluation. We will do everything that we can."

Eli Manning (full transcript)

On his fumble following Jonathan Goff's interception.

"I went down and just right when I went down the ball popped out. I did go head first, that is just something I have to be careful of. Either go feet-first or just take care of the ball. Our defense got a great stop after that, we went down and scored, so it didn’t destroy us right there, we were able to bounce back from it, but in that field position we had a lot of momentum going and you need to try to take advantage of that."

On the much-discussed 3rd-and-5 draw, a call he vigorously defended. The call, by the way, did come from the sideline. It was not an Eli audible.

"We had the perfect call on for that defense," Manning said. "They went and played two-man. All the linebackers were to the right and we were coming back with a counter the other way and we should have had a big opportunity to get a big play right there, we just didn’t do it. We are going to look at the film and see what is going on. We were running the ball pretty well out of those things and when they are playing two-man and both safeties back we really had a good call on, we just didn’t execute it to our best ability."

Rich Seubert, summing up the frustration of the Giants players. (Full players transcript)

"Nobody cares about what happened tonight anymore. If we win the next three games, we will be in the playoffs. We gave them seven on a punt return; we gave seven on a fumble recovery. I guess that means that we just have to score more. We can’t win games playing like that. We just have to play better."

Other Transcripts

Run, Giants run! Or, why can't the Giants run anymore?

Ed Valentine — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 12:00:13 -0000

More photos » by Chris O'Meara - AP

What is wrong with the New York Giants running game? Plenty, but one big thing is that we just have not seen enough of this -- Brandon Jacobs with the football.

Browse more photos »

What is wrong with the New York Giants' running game? Everyone seems to have an opinion, so here is mine.

I think the answer is two-fold.

The offensive line is not playing as well as it has the past couple of seasons.
Philosophically, the Giants are now a pass-first team and not a 'punish the defense with a physical ground game' first team.

First, let's lay out the numbers.

The Giants are averaging 126.8 yards rushing per game, ninth in the league. That is waaaay down from the league-leading 157.4 per game they averaged in 2008. It is also their worst rushing performance since they averaged just 119 yards per game in 2004. Not coincidentally, that is also the last time the Giants missed the playoffs.

On a per-carry basis, they average 4.3 yards. Respectable, but hardly the dominant 5.0 per carry they ripped off last season.

They have a paltry six rushing plays for 20 or more yards, none for 40 or more. In 2008, they had 24 runs of 20+ and three runs of 40+.

The Offensive Line

We have talked about the offensive line's troubles before. We need to do it again, though, because the disappointing work by the guys up front is a big part of why the Giants have been unable to run consistently. I turned to my newfound favorite stat site, Pro Football Focus, for data on the play of the Giants offensive linemen. As of Saturday, these numbers are still through only 10 games. Yet, good enough to give you an idea what is going on.

The chart below gives you PFF's run-blocking scores for each lineman for 2008 and 2009. I put Madison Hedgecock and Kevin Boss in there because they are key components of the run-blocking schemes.

Player	2008	2009
David Diehl	-4.5	-0.2
Rich Seubert	+18.3	-4.9
Shaun O'Hara	+7.5	+13.5
Chris Snee	+21.2	+14.0
Kareem McKenzie	+7.7	+9.7
Kevin Boss	+5.1	+12.9
Madison Hedgecock	+0.3	-0.9

Anyone else see what I see? Look at Rich Seubert's numbers. Using PFF's method of a zero for doing what is expected, gaining points for doing more than expected and losing points for doing less than expected, Seubert has dropped more than 23 points from last season. Is he hurt? I don't know. I do know Seubert has not been good.

David Diehl is slightly better in 2009 than 2008, but still in negative numbers. So, basically, that means the Giants cannot run to the left. Watch the clip below, and you will notice that Brandon Jacobs likes running left. If the Giants can't block that side, that is a huge problem.

Look a little deeper. I have had the impression that Hedgecock, the blocking fullback, has not been having a great year. PFF's numbers confirm it. When you have a blocking fullback whose numbers as a blocker are below average, that is another huge problem. Even Chris Snee, acknowledged as the best lineman, has good numbers. But, not as good as 2008.

So, the left side of the Giants line is below par in run blocking. And they are not getting good work from the blocking back. A pretty ugly combination.

The philosophy

After Thursday night's blowout loss to the Broncos coach Tom Coughlin had this to say.

"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."

I think, overall, Coughlin is a terrific head coach. He has a Super Bowl ring, and I hope he coaches the Giants as long as he wants to. To be brutally honest, though, you have wonder sometimes if those are just words to the veteran head coach. At least in terms of how the Giants approach offense, that is.

I really hate to do this, but I can't help it. Because I can't stop thinking about it. Turn the clock all the way back to 2006, back to the days when Tiki Barber was openly challenging Coughlin and openly questioning the strategy being employed. What was Barber's chief complaint in those days, when John Hufnagel was calling the plays?

His chief complaint was that the Giants abandoned the run too quickly, failing to take full advantage of their best player. Which happened to be Barber.

Fast forward to 2009. What was O'Hara saying to reporters the other day? That he feels the Giants are abandoning the run too quickly.

"I think really as a unit we are probably frustrated with the run game. It has come so easy for us the last few years. Running the football has really been an afterthought. Yeah, we will get six, seven yards, no big deal. We’ll get 150 yards rushing without even blinking an eye. Things are a little bit tougher; it’s tougher sledding.

"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."

I will bet you a nickel Tiki enjoyed reading that.

The overall stats leave little doubt that the Giants have gone from balanced to pass happy. They show that the Giants have run the ball an average of 29.8 times per game this season vs. 31.4 last season, a slight difference. Pass attempts, though, are up from 30.7 attempts per game last season to 34.4 per game in 2009. So, in 2009 the Giants are passing the ball 54 percent of the time. In 2008, they passed 49 percent of the time.

It doesn't seem like a big difference, but in truth it is.

Here are the numbers during the last six games, in which we know the Giants have won just once.

Opponent	Passes	Runs
New Orleans	36	19
Arizona	37	26
Philadelphia	39	32
San Diego	33	28
Atlanta	39	26
Denver	40	16

Total them, and that is 224 pass plays, and just 147 running plays, or 60.3 percent passing plays. A far cry from the balance the Giants have always said they strive for in their offense.

Now, a small percentage of that can be explained by the Giants trailing big late in a couple of those games. Yet, that isn't the whole explanation.

During their five-game win streak at the beginning of the season, the Giants ran the ball 180 times and passed it 154, or 54% of the time. Yes, slightly skewed by the blowouts against Tampa Bay and Oakland in which the Giants were running out the clock at the end of the games. Yet, to me, clearly an indication that the Giants are better served when they remember to run the football.

It's plain to see that the Giants have become a team that uses the run to protect the lead, but not to go and get it. Coughlin and Kevin Gilbride quite obviously want to put the ball in the air when the game is in doubt.

What is the big problem with that? The NFL is clearly now a passing league, and analyst after analyst will tell you that you have to throw to score touchdowns.

Sure, except the one offensive player the Giants have who is feared by opposing defenses is the 6-foot-4, 270-pound Jacobs. The guy no one in the league likes to tackle.

During the past six games, Jacobs has averaged just 12.3 carries per game. Sorry, but whether he is running as well as last year or not, offensive line struggles or not, Jacobs cannot do what he is paid to do with that puny workload.

Jacobs' job is to wear out defenses. To set a physical tone and tire out defenders, making it easier for Ahmad Bradshaw or D.J. Ware to find holes late in the game. And for Eli Manning to throw without pass rushers draped all over him.

The Giants are not allowing him to do that. And failing to give Jacobs 18-20 carries per game means they are not playing to their strength, as much as I love Eli and the receiving corps. Remember, too, that Jacobs alone is doling out that physical punishment this season. Derrick Ward was 230 pounds and could also punish defenders. Bradshaw can make them miss, but he can't make them hurt.

TC has been talking a lot lately about winning the physical battle. Well, to do that TC and KG have got to remember to take full advantage of the Giants most physical player.

'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

Land of the Giants: End of Training Camp Edition

cjmulrain — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:00:24 -0000

Every time a New York Giant gets injured this preseason, I have awful flashbacks to the Mets' lost season. Hopefully this doesn't become an epidemic for the Giants like it did for the Mets - I can't handle the prospect of watching 3rd and 4th stringers playing a majority of the season as starters. So get better Aaron, and stay healthy everyone else! Here's a few links for your reading (and viewing) pleasure:

Here's a pretty cool video from ESPN featuring the Giants nutritionist talking about the dietary needs of various players. Brandon Jacobs is a large man, and based on his milkshake preference, it's no surprise. Rich Seubert mostly jokes around, but David Diehl seems like he really knows what he's talking about and takes his nutrition seriously. And Eli is the resident healthy eater, which doesn't surprise me too much.
Chris Canty is receiveing Platelet-Rich Plasma therapy for his torn hamstring, the same procedure which got Hines Ward onto the field for Super Bowl XLIII. I don't know the science behind it, but hopefully it works, the Giants could really use a healthy Canty.
Ralph Vachianno looks back on training camp and answers his 5 biggest questions that he posed back in July. 3 of the 5 answers don't look too great right now, but at least there's been good news about Ahmad Bradshaw, Sinorice Moss, and Gerris Wilkinson. Ralph also gives out his training camp awards, which all sound about right if you've been following Ed's reports. All in all, I'd say this training camp wasn't a smashing success, but it also wasn't a total bust - the Eagles have had a tougher camp than the Giants for sure. When it's all said and done, however, nobody will care much about training camp a month from now, so I can't get too worked up over it one way or the other.
Finally, some news about the Giants future at the University of Albany.

New York Giants training camp: Monday afternoon practice report

Ed Valentine — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 21:42:51 -0000

Here is your Monday afternoon practice report from New York Giants training camp at UAlbany.

Let's just say it was brutally obvious that the intensity was ratcheted up a few notches this afternoon, the first full practice since Saturday's embarrassing pre-season loss to Chicago. There was heavy hitting, and more pad-popping than at any time in camp.

Oh, and two fights. Or near fights. The first involved cornerback Bruce Johnson and wide receiver Shaun Bodiford when they got tangled up, went to the ground and came up mauling each other WWE style.

The second also involved Bruce Johnson. I didn't see what started it, but I did see tight end Darcy Johnson take a couple of swings at him, which drew a lot of players before Brandon Jacobs stepped in to play peacemaker.

Bruce Johnson, who is fighting for a roster spot, was obviously testy today. After the two fights, he knocked a pass away from David Tyree and gave the 'throat-slash' sign, which immediately drew the ire of the offense -- and the coaching staff.

Here are some other highlights of Monday's practice.

No 1 pick Hakeem Nicks has had a mostly quiet camp, fighting through a hamstring issue. Nothing quiet about Nicks' work Monday, though. He was, quite simply, the most dominant player on the field. Nicks made two leaping, one-handed catches Monday. One on a long ball down the right sideline from Rhett Bomar when he was well-covered by, who else, Bruce Johnson. The second was a red zone fade from Andre Woodson when he hauled in a pass in the corner of the end zone. Nicks also caught a long ball down the left sideline from Woodson when he ran by DeAndre Wright. Pretty obvious the coaches noticed Nicks' work. He ran with the first team in three-wide sets during the two-minute drill near the end of practice.
Mathias Kiwanuka made what is probably the defensive play of camp during 11-on-11 work. Lined up at left end, Kiwanuka picked off a bubble screen for Mario Manningham for what would have been a touchdown. Kiwanuka practically took the ball out of Eli Manning's hands. I don't know if Kiwi made a fabulous move, or Kareem McKenzie made a horrendous block, but it was an awesome athletic play.
Eli had three passes picked off today, incidentally. Oh, and there was a fumble on a handoff from Eli to Ahmad Bradshaw. Yuck! Not what you want to see this far into camp.
Derek Hagan, the Giants' practice superstar, made several nice grabs today. Now if he could only translate that to a game he might actually make the team.
Very few opportunities for Rhett Bomar, but he threw a few nice balls. A good sideline out to Taye Biddle was probably his best throw.
Rocky Bernard provided some good news on the defensive tackle front, making a couple of nice stops, including getting into the backfield to drop Danny Ware for a loss.
Dave Tollefson had what would have been a sack of David Carr when he beat William Beatty.
INJURY NOTES: Kenny Phillips, Aaron Ross, Chris Snee and Rich Seubert all worked today. Ross was limitied a bit, but the rest went fully. Antonio Pierce, Michael Boley and Danny Clark just did a few individual drills.

Today's Transcripts

Antonio Pierce
Running backs coach Jerald ingram
Quarterbacks coach Chris Palmer

Week 15: Panthers @ Giants Defensive Preview

LittleKing — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 04:17:07 -0000

We all know what's at stake this Sunday, first place for the NFC playoffs, but for the Panthers there's even more on the line. The Giants have already clinched a playoff spot, the Panthers have not. If the Panthers lose out and Dallas, Tampa, and Atlanta win out, we would miss the playoffs because of tie-breakers. While I see the chance of that happening at less than 5%, I would rather step through the front door instead of sneak in the back. Yet again, since we don't play until Sunday night, we may already know our playoff future, meaning since all three of those previous teams will have played, if any one of them lose we clinch at least a playoff spot.

Getting back to the Giants. Our opponent this week can be a monster on the field, with their strength being the ground game. Stat wise, while the Giants have the edge, for the majority we are closely matched. The one glaring difference-Panther rushing defense at 18th and the Giants rushing offense at #1. For the Panthers' defense this will be the biggest challenge.

Giants Team Stats - Game Averages

	Pts	Yrds	Pass	Rush
Off	26.7	348.5 (9th)	199.8 (18th)	148.7 (1st)
Def	17.6	285.8 (6th)	195.4 (10th)	90.4 (4th)

Panthers Team Stats - Game Averages

	Pts	Yrds	Pass	Rush
Off	25.2	341.0 (12th)	194.9 (21st)	146.1 (4th)
Def	18.9	315.9 (10th)	204.4 (12th)	111.5 (18th)

Not considering any inactive players (Plaxico mainly), both teams do have some concern at injury. The Panthers DT Maake Kemoeatu was seen using crutches and a boot after Monday's practice. Also, RG Keydrick Vincent had to leave the game early against Denver. For the Giants, Brandon Jacobs is uncertain, and during the Dallas game RT Kareem McKenzie and LG Rich Seubert both left with injuries. It to early to tell if any of them will be able to play. Both teams are saying very little about their situations right now.

My gut feeling is that Kemo has less than a 20% chance of playing, but pure speculation. For the Giants, I have no idea about their O-linemen, but for Jacob's my gut is telling me 75% chance of playing right now. If Jacob's is out, the impact of Kemo missing a game is reduced but still significant. And vice versa, if Jacobs plays and Kemo is out, that could be the difference in this game.

We are not sure how the Panthers will adjust for Kemo being out. Anything from rotating DT Darwin Walker and Gary Gibson, to moving over either DT Charles Johnson or Tyler Brayton, or a combination of these options. The good news is that we have played 3 DE at times in passing situations but we will have to see how they fair against the run.

These two teams are built very similarly as well, power running game to setup the pass. Both Jake Delhomme and Eli Manning are more game managers and both have very similar stats.

	Jake Delhomme	Eli Manning
Games	14	14
Att	375	433
Comp	221	261
Comp %	58.9	60.3
Passing Yards	2853	2938
Yards / Att	7.6	6.8
TD	14	20
INT	12	10
Comp for 1st down	133	151
Sacked	19	23
Passer Rating	82.0	86.4

For the Giants, missing two starters on their o-line could be trouble. The Giants are better at run blocking than pass blocking and if either or both of their starting line is out could spell trouble. They gave up 8 sacks to the Cowboys and now 23 for the season. With the high likelyhood of the Panthers need to use a 3 DE set, keeping Eli upright would be that much harder.

The keys for the Panthers on stopping the Giants is pressure on Manning when they have to throw and limit the ground attack (unless a miracle happens, we are not doing to shut it down). Regardless of who is starting on our defensive line, Jon Beason is going to have to play his best game of the season and dropping eight in the box is not out of the question.

This means Chris Gamble and Ken Lucas will have to work a lot of single coverage with only one safety up top. Before Plaxico Burress was suspended this was causing teams major problems. While the Giants still have quality receivers losing their best receiver changes the way you have to defend against them. Just imagine the consequences to the Panthers if we lost Steve Smith.

Defensively this game has loads of challenges. The Panthers offense have been hitting their stride and hopefully that continues but without getting into their challenges, let just say they cannot do it alone this week. Against the Broncos the defense had one of it's best days in quite a few games, but was it because the Broncos had no running attack or that our defense actually stepped up. Probably some of both, but we will find out Sunday for sure.

Correction: Incorrectly listed Travelle Wharton as leaving the game against Denver Updated to Keydrick Vencent.