SB Nation - Derek Hagan

Cowboys @ Giants Injury Update

Aaron Novinger — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:23:51 -0000

DeMarcus Ware has been added to the injury report - again. Evidently, Ware has a small fracture in his wrist. From Todd Archer:

Ware was already on the weekly injury report with the foot injury but the wrist was added today. He is listed as probable. Ware had X-rays today that revealed the fracture. Ware will have to wear a small cast for protection.

Make the jump.

The extra time between games has helped heal Jason Witten's sprained foot.

"I thought it was something that might be lingering, but it feels really good," Witten said. "Last week was tough with a short week. I felt good in the game and the trainers did a good job of getting me back quick. If it were a normal week there wouldn't be any question."

Both Ware and Witten practiced fully this week and will play on Sunday.

The only other surprise on the Cowboys' injury report is that Ken Hamlin (high ankle sprain) did not return to practice this week. Therefore, he will not play against the Giants. Obviously, Marc Colombo will still be out with his broken fibula.

Here is the list of the Cowboys' probables:

LB Victor Butler (knee), QB Tony Romo (back), S Gerald Sensabaugh (thumb), LB DeMarcus Ware (foot/wrist), TE Jason Witten (foot)

For the Giants, RB Ahmad Bradshaw (ankle/foot) had limited participation in practice today and is listed as questionable. The same goes for S Michael Johnson who is suffering from an injured groin.

Here is how their injury report shakes out:

OUT - RB D.J. Ware (concussion)

QUESTIONABLE - TE Travis Beckum (groin), RB Ahmad Bradshaw (ankle/foot), S Michael Johnson (groin)

PROBABLE - LB Michael Boley (back), WR Derek Hagan (hamstring), QB Eli Manning (foot)

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.

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.

'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.

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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

New York Giants should look to deal Sinorice Moss

Ed Valentine — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:00:11 -0000

Sinorice Moss (Photo by bkrieger02)

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It is time for the New York Giants to trade Sinorice Moss. In fact, I know a lot of you would say it is past time for that to happen.

Moss has had a pretty good pre-season. He did well during camp at UAlbany, especially early on. When it comes right down to it, though, the diminutive fourth-year wide receiver from the University of Miami is looking at another season without a real role on this team.

That's been the case for the 5-foot-8, 185-pound speedster ever since his rookie year. He has never been able to translate the blinding speed and good hands into production on the field, and has just 38 catches over three seasons. He has also returned 18 kickoffs, with only marginal success.

From the looks of things, he is staring at the same type of season again -- meaning, being an afterthought.

At receiver, Domenik Hixon and Steve Smith are penciled in as starters. Moss was listed as third receiver when training camp began, but that seems more like it was a courtesy extended to a veteran who has paid his dues.

Mario Manningham seems to be the No. 3 guy right now. The Giants also seem determined to move No. 1 pick Hakeem Nicks up the ladder as quickly as they can. At the first sign he was fully healed from his training camp hamstring woes, Nicks began getting some reps with Eli Manning. Right now, my guess is he is No. 4.

At best, that makes Moss No. 5. And what sense does it make for the Giants to allow Moss, who can make some plays but has obvious physical limitations, to take opportunities away from either Nicks or the sensational third-round pick, Ramses Barden? To me, none.

Looking even further down the list, Derek Hagan has had a better camp than Moss and at 6-2, 215 probably has more to offer as a pass-catching target. Besides, the only real difference between Hagan (53 catches in three years with Miami) is that the Giants drafted Moss and the Dolphins drafted Hagan.

As a return guy, Moss has never shown the explosive big-play ability you might think his speed would lead to. Right now, he is probably the backup punt returner to Manningham and part of a kickoff return rotation with Danny Ware, Ahmad Bradshaw and maybe even Nicks or Hixon.

So, that would make Moss a backup kick returner and spare part wide receiver. Again.

I know there are teams out there hunting for wide receiver help. Saturday's opponent, the New York Jets, is one. The Baltimore Ravens are another.

Please don't harbor the illusion that General Manager Jerry Reese could get a useful player, like a backup offensive lineman, for Moss. Those kinds of trades don't go down in the NFL at this time of year. What Reese probably could get is a draft pick, say anywhere from the 5th to the 7th round.

That might not seem like a lot, but stockpiling draft picks in return for players you probably can't use is always a good idea. And we know Reese has had a habit of striking gold with some of those late picks.

Getting himself dealt somewhere might be the best thing Moss ever does for the Giants. And it might be good for his career, too.

(-- Sinorice Moss player page)

Land of the Giants: Hagan keeps hanging on

Ed Valentine — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 11:00:10 -0000

Here is your Thursday morning roundup of news and opinion regarding our New York Giants.

Derek Hagan apparently continued his spectacular pre-season Wednesday with a tremendous catch to end practice. Tom Rock also has some good news on defensive tackle Chris Canty and linebacker Michael Boley. When it comes to Hagan, I just don't know how the Giants will justify it if they end up cutting him.
Mike Garafolo has a lot more on the Canty's condition.

"I felt pretty good moving around a little bit today, so hopefully we can build on that and continue to move forward," Canty said, though he admitted the big test will be Thursday morning. "You want to see how it feels -- if it's sore in the morning. But I'm not anticipating that. I'm thinking only the best and hopefully we'll be able to build off today."

Canty said he's "very hopeful" he'll be out there in Week 1. That's obviously the big goal for his return, but Canty realizes he's missing valuable time right now, especially since he's making the transition to a 4-3 defense (at tackle) after playing the last nine seasons in a 3-4 (at end) with the Cowboys and in college at Virginia.

"I got a few practices there in the beginning, but I really need some work on it to be where I want to be, to be where this ball club wants me to be in order to be able to contribute," Canty said, later adding this about the switch to a 4-3: "It's a completely new defense. It's the first time I've had to learn a new defense in nine years -- since high school. I've been playing 3-4 for the last decade. So playing a 4-3 is a little bit different so far as the philosophy, terminology and techniques. It's an adjustment, but at the end of the day football is football and I'm a football player."

We keep talking about the Giants' offensive line depth. Well, Jason La Canfora of NFL.com lists Mark Tauscher and Levi Jones as currently available free agent offensive tackles who might be worth a look.

Tauscher is coming off surgery, but is cleared to play and brings a pedigree of steady and heady play from his time in Green Bay. Jones’ attitude has come into question in the past, but when he’s on, he is good. Both of these players would be an upgrade for several teams over what they have at that position right now.

In a separate post, LaCanfora mentions that Giants' linebacker Gerris Wilkinson could draw interest from several teams if the Giants were to decide he isn't in their plans. Wilkinson has spent some time this pre-season working at middle linebacker, increasing his versatility.
Speaking of roster spots, David Tyree knows his chances are running out. The Baltimore Sun wonders if Tyree would be a fit with the receiver-needy Ravens.
Peter King does not list Giants' linebacker Clint Sintim among the 10 most impressive rookies of the pre-season. No matter. When all is said and done, Sintim's pass-rushing skills and athleticism will likely have him among the league's top 10 most productive rookies. I have said it before, but Danny Clark won't have his starting job for long.

New York Giants training camp: That's a wrap!

Ed Valentine — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 15:42:44 -0000

More photos » by Tim Roske - AP

Coach Tom Coughlin and the Giants are making their escape from Albany today.

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As I write this, most of the New York Giants players, coaches and staff members are already zipping up the Thruway heading for their in-season homes in and around New Jersey.

The final practice of New York Giants training camp at UAlbany was held this morning -- perhaps the last Giants' practice ever in Albany. That means this will be your final practice report from me.

Practice began with a real downer this morning. On the first pass play off 11-on-11 drills, Aaron Ross was left crumpled on the ground in agony grabbing at his left hamstring. Ross, trying to work back in after missing most of camp with the hamstring injury, was trying to cover Steve Smith on a deep ball. Instead, he wound up being helped off the field. I doubt we see him again any time soon.

Great quote from Tom Coughlin on Ross' injury.

The poor kid cannot get beyond that. He starts working his way back and he obviously made a sudden move to try to catch back up to a receiver that was going by and…it’s very frustrating because he’s not had a lot of time on the field.

Hakeem Nicks followed Monday afternoon's all-world practice with an up-and-down effort. Nicks was consistently open, but dropped the first two deep balls he got his hands on. Both times he had beaten defenders. Toward the end of practice, though, Nicks beat safety Kenny Phillips and made a gorgeous stretching touchdown catch of an Eli Manning floater for a touchdown.
Never thought I would see this from backup tight end Michael Matthews. Not exactly known for his receiving skills, Matthews made an oustanding one-hand leaping catch on an out in the flat from Manning. He stuck his big old right hand up and the ball stayed in it.
Typical Coughlin during pre-practice stretching drills. Walking up and down the lines yelling "Be a winner, be a winner ... Focus ... Effort, effort."
I guess the Giants couldn't leave Albany without Adam Koets and Andre Woodson messing up one final snap. I can't give Koets too much grief, though. It's the first bad exchange since prior to the first exhibition game.
Perfect illustration of the Ramses Barden effect this morning. Rhett Bomar threw a triple-covered Barden a deep ball that he had no business sending in Barden's direction. Guess who came away with the ball?
Perfect illustration also of the limitations of Sinorice Moss. Single covered down the middle by Kevin Dockery, Moss could only watch David Carr's slightly overthrown pass sail over his head. Barden catches that ball. Then again, I think several of the other receivers could have hauled it in.
Kenny Phillips made a nice play to knock a Carr pass away from Beckum.
Bomar threw the ball well this morning. Several nice short throws in limited opportunities.
Domenik Hixon outran Corey Webster to haul in a deep throw from Manning.
Some nice battles this morning between Derek Hagan and Terrell Thomas.

That's about it for today. Now I go back to being a regular blogger.

Blogger journal: Chronicling the experience

Ed Valentine — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 10:00:12 -0000

I have not done a 'blogger journal' since early in New York Giants training camp. Well, Monday afternoon I took my 13-year-old son to camp and let him shoot pictures with my digital camera.

He was shooting from the bleachers with a small digital camera, but he got some good shots. And, more importantly, he enjoyed himself. Despite the fact that he is a Patriots' fan (yeah, I know, but I love him anyway).

So, indulge me this morning while I share with you some of the photos from the more than 200 that he shot.

Eli Manning enters practice via 'Autograph Alley' as fans look on.

Just to prove I actually have been at camp, that is me to the right overseeing the pre-practice stretching routine.

A view of practice from the bleacher area just behind the fence.

An overview of the proceedings from up in the bleachers. Can you find me in this photo?

My son has great admiration for the members of our Armed Forces, as do the Giants.

A view of the hill behind the first practice field. 'Bigbluethruandthru' is probably up there somewhere.

I believe these are Giants' players milling around after the skirmish between Darcy Johnson and Bruce Johnson.

Eli Manning calls signals during a Red Zone drill. Yes, I know Tom Coughlin calls it the 'Green Zone.'

Justin Tuck (91) prepares to rush the passer as Eli barks signals.

Derek Hagan (80) scampers away from Gerris Wilkinson (59) after a catch.

As you can see, not everyone was riveted to the action on the practice field.

Rhett Bomar prepares to take a snap.

Defensive linemen ready to take off.

(All photos by Ryan Valentine)

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