SB Nation - Jonathan Goff

'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)

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

New York Giants evening notes: 'Dirtbag' might face suspension

Ed Valentine — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:22:59 -0000

According to ESPN, Dallas Cowboy Flozell 'Dirtbag' Adams might be facing a suspension for his actions toward Justin Tuck Sunday.

Adams deserves one, no doubt. And Tom Coughlin agrees. Even if he won't say it exactly that way.

"I think that there is no place in our game for the act that he took," said Coughlin.

Michael Boley said he was impressed by the work of young linebackers Jonathan Goff and Clint Sintim Sunday.

"They did good. I haven’t had a chance to get in to watch the film but from what I saw and felt on the field I thought they did a pretty good job," Boley said. "Each person brings something different to the field. Goff’s first start, he was excited, he was real up-tempo and upbeat, and you like that, especially when you have guys in there who are kind of new to it. They hit it running and hit it going full speed, so it’s good."

Justin Tuck will be part of a group of athletes who will preside over the ringing of the Nasdaq Opening Bell Tuesday morning. All Stars Helping Kids foundation founder and NFL Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott will join Tuck, Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, women's basketball pioneer Nancy Lieberman, Olympian and World Champion sprinter Lauryn Williams and MLS All Star Stuart Holden for the bell-ringing ceremony. Fans can watch the ceremony on Tuesday at 9:15 a.m. by launching this link: http://www.nasdaq.com/about/marketsitetowervideo.asx for a view into the MarketSite studio.

'Kudos & Wet Willies:' Return of the Giants edition

Ed Valentine — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 12:00:23 -0000

More photos » by Kathy Willens - AP

New York Giants cornerback Kevin Dockery (35) and wide receiver Derek Hagan (80) congratulate wide receiver Domenik Hixon (87), left, after he ran a 79-yard punt return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009.

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Lots of praise to dole out on the morning after our New York Giants rescued their season Sunday with a 31-24 victory over the arch-rival Dallas Cowboys.

This was an inspiring victory that begged only one real question. Where has this kind of passionate, determined effort been for the past six weeks?

Anyway, I will never figure that one out. So, on with the 'Kudos & Wet Willies.'

'Kudos' to ...

Bill Sheridan: He has been getting killed around these parts for weeks as the defense under-performed. Today, the beleaguered defensive coordinator deserves some praise. We knew going into the game Sheridan was going to make lots of lineup changes. Well, he did and for the most part they worked beautifully. The Giants rotated a lot of people, and guys like Jonathan Goff, Clint Sintim and Mathias Kiwanuka all played well with increased time. Sheridan stacked the line of scrimmage and the Giants allowed Dallas just 45 rushing yards. Only two sacks of Romo on the day, but he was harassed and hit often as the Giants seemed to do a better job than they have all season of dialing up well-designed blitzes at good times. Maybe there is hope for Sheridan yet.
Kevin Gilbride: The other beleaguered coordinator also deserves some praise. Still only 13 carries for Jacobs, but Gilbride stuck with the run enough early on to open up some play-action stuff later on. On, and there were a few minor changes I a couple of run formations and personnel packages that helped the Giants pound out some tough yards when they needed them.
Brandon Jacobs: The longest play of his career -- a 74-yard touchdown -- came Sunday on a simple pass into the flat. Jacobs, incidentally gave a lot of credit to Darcy Johnson for his downfield blocking on the touchdown. Only 39 yards rushing on 13 carries for Jacobs, but he did run hard, dish out some punishment and barrel his way into the end zone in a goal-line situation.
Steve Smith: A typical six catches for Smith. A very un-typical 110 yards (18.3 yards per catch). Smith is a master at getting open and catching the ball, but those catches are usually followed by Smith immediately crumpling to the ground. Not Sunday. He had a 36-yard catch and run, mostly run, and a handful of other plays where he got big chunks or yardage after a catch. Since the Giants won, and we are giving Smith 'Kudos,' we won't talk about that ball he dropped in the end zone.
Aaron Rouse: Twelve tackles and a sack for the Green Bay reject. Rouse is looking more and more like another one of those brilliant in-season pickups by General Manager Jerry Reese. I don't know for sure what went wrong for Rouse in Green Bay, but he seems to be getting better and better as the weeks go by with the Giants. He was tremendous Sunday.
Domenik Hixon: We have been begging for a big special teams play for weeks, and Hixon finally delivered with a game-changing 79-yard punt return for a touchdown.
Terrell Thomas and C.C. Brown: I am putting these two guys together, and I am even amazing myself that I am including Brown. Even though Romo passed for 392 yards, I thought these two guys were fabulous, especially in run support. Thomas had 10 tackles, Brown had nine and there weren't any blown assignments.
Barry Cofield: We have been begging for a push from the middle of the defensive line, and Cofield provided it Sunday. Only three tackles, but a couple of those were for losses and Cofield was a disruptive presence in the middle for the entire game.

HONORABLE MENTIONS: There are several other guys who could be on this list. They include Mathias Kiwanuka (six tackles and a forced fumble), Ahmad Bradshaw (a couple of big runs after his first-half fumble), Goff (who held up just fine in the middle of the defense) and Michael Boley (11 tackles). Give Osi Umenyiora credit, too, for playing hard, coming up with a fumble recovery and not complaining to the press because he didn't start.

Wet Willies to ...

Corey Webster: Tony Romo threw three touchdown passes, and Webster was the defender on all three of them. Two of those were to Roy Williams, the type of tall, physical receivers who seems to give Webster trouble.
Chris Canty: Got a start at defensive tackle against his old team, and had no impact. In fact, the $42 million free agent did nothing. He didn't even get his name in the stat sheet.
Eli Manning: I really hate to give this one out, but I feel like I have to. Eli was just 11-for-25 for 241 yards. He threw two touchdown passes, but one was mostly due to Brandon Jacobs' tremendous individual effort and the other was a terrific catch by Hakeem Nicks on a ball Eli threw late. Manning threw a bad pick in the second half when he just tossed a ball up for grabs in the end zone, and badly missed a wide open Steve Smith on a deep ball in the fourth quarter. Not his worst game, especially since he was under duress much of the time, but he can play better.
Flozell Adams: Do I even have to talk about it? This guy is a moron who deserves a suspension. Enough said.

Final - 12.6.2009	1	2	3	4	Total
Dallas Cowboys	0	10	7	7	24
New York Giants	0	14	7	10	31

Complete Coverage >

Cowboys vs. Giants: 'Kudos & Wet Willies' preview

Ed Valentine — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 12:00:14 -0000

We need to have a happy Monday around here if our New York Giants are going to play any more meaningful football games this season. So, to make that a reality here is what I think needs to happen today against the Dallas Cowboys.

There will be lots of 'Kudos' Monday if ...

The Giants find a way to stop the run. This, of course, has been the reason for many of the lineup changes the Giants appear to be making defensively. The Cowboys ran all over the Giants for 251 yards in Week 2, and the run defense really hasn't gotten better since then. The Giants have given up too many big plays in the run game, and never seem to get a big stop when they need it. That has to change.
Jonathan Goff is not overmatched. Goff will not only be making his first start, he will be playing the first meaningful downs of his NFL career. Giants' brass and Giants' fans all want to know if he can do the job, which is why he is getting to play. If he can, the run defense should get better.
The Giants can contain Jason Witten. They usually can't. In fact, they usually can't contain most quality tight ends. But, if Michael Boley can slow him down that will help neutralize Tony Romo's favorite target.
David Diehl can slow DeMarcus Ware. Again, he usually can't. Ware has speed that usually is a problem for Diehl. The Giants need to help Diehl so that Eli Manning isn't running for his life.
The Giants re-discover the running game. We have debated the reasons for the struggles in the run game all week. All I am asking for this week is one or two big plays out of the running game. Maybe the fact that Brandon Jacobs is likely to play a lot more snaps with the depleted running back situation will get him into a rhythm.

There will be lots of 'Wet Willies' Monday if ...

The Giants don't play with passion. The most disappointing thing about the turkey of a game they played Thanksgiving Day in Denver was that a team that has played with tremendous passion and resolve for the past few seasons looked like it was mailing it in. Let's see what they bring to the table today.
Tony Romo has a big day. The last time the teams played Romo gift-wrapped the game for the Giants with three picks. If he slices up the beleaguered Giants secondary that's a big problem. Maybe the revamped front seven can generate some pressure.
The Giants offense is one-dimensional. If Manning is forced to try and throw 40 or more times, we could be looking at one of those games like the one last year when the Cowboys sacked him eight times. I don't care how they do it, but the Giants need to have enough success running the ball so that Dallas doesn't just go full-force after Eli on every play.

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)

Evening Giants notes: Coordinators prove introspective

Ed Valentine — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 22:30:21 -0000

The best thing about Thursdays as a New York Giants blogger is that it is the day each week that the team's coordinators are made available to the media each week. Today, when the transcripts of the interviews with Bill Sheridan and Kevin Gilbride arrived in the Big Blue View mailbox, I found them particularly revealing.

Both coordinators we know have come under fire from fans and media members alike as the Giants -- expected to be Super Bowl contenders -- have floundered to a 6-5 record.

Here is some of the back-and-forth with reporters and Sheridan, the defensive coordinator. (Full transcript)

Sheridan was questioned about the criticism he has received.

Q: You are familiar – you have been here for a while – you know the tradition here. This team – this defense – has not lived up to that tradition. How much does that trouble you?

A: It troubles me a lot. But honestly, I’m not worried about the past and the tradition. We are just worried about what is the next game. So I’m well aware of that tradition. But we don’t dwell on that – we are too busy getting ready for the next team that is in front of us. And right now we have a huge challenge coming up this weekend. So we really don’t sit around and think about that stuff. We are so busy doing the next – every single day I’m in the building, it is either the next meeting, the next practice or the next part of your game plan, whether it is Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. We are up to our ears until 11 p.m. every single night.

Q: Do you think you have done a good job?

A: I don’t even think like that. You can answer that. Obviously, based on how our defense has played – not good enough, if that is the answer that you are looking for. No, not good enough. We have lost ‘x’ number of games in the last month or so; so not good enough.

Q: Even though you don’t read the papers, do you think criticism of you is unfair?

A: Honestly, I don’t even think about that. I don’t know, probably not. I’m responsible for the defense, so if we have sub-par performances, that absolutely falls on my shoulders. I have no problem handling that. But I don’t really think too much about fair or unfair criticism. I have so many other things to worry about. I appreciate your questions, but I don’t have magical, clever answers.

He was also asked about Jonathan Goff, who will start this week at middle linebacker.

Q: RE: Trying to make a move at middle linebacker this week.

A: We didn’t have to; we just want to play Jon. He is a guy who has been developing and we have a lot of faith in him. We just wanted to give him an opportunity to play. Chase is still going to play. We didn’t feel we needed to make a move. We just wanted to get Jon on the field – get some of the younger guys who haven’t played much that we think are going to be good players. So that was our thinking there. We were not disappointed in Chase at all and Chase is going to play.

Gilbride, the much-maligned offensive coordinator, was also pretty candid in his interview. (Full transcript)

Gilbride was asked about the Giants' running game, and it was obvious from his answers that its ineffectiveness bothers him, just like it bothers everyone else who watches the Giants.

Q. Re: effectiveness running out of shotgun instead of under center? Is the pass setting up the run?

It didn’t happen that way the other night and it really didn’t happen that way the previous game, even though we threw the ball like crazy and it helped open up some runs. That’s what happened Sunday, it was our three-wide runs that got more than four, five yards. Every run with three-wide was over four yards, we didn’t have one otherwise that was four yards. It was just opposite of what you’re saying. 180 degrees the opposite. But it shouldn’t be that way. We should be good under center, too. We have been good for a long time and that’s what is so exasperating to everybody. Why isn’t it as good now? Again, I don’t think it is any one single thing. Regardless of what it is, it hasn’t been as good, it hasn’t been as consistent and certainly that is an area that we would like to be doing better with.

Q. Is part of that just committing to it whether it is one-yard run, two-yard run and just taking the three and out?

A. Do you want to do that? Then you lose the game. That is the hard line. That is probably the most difficult thing. When do you say, ‘Hey, we better change tactics.’ Before you know it the game is out of hand and you are so far behind that you can’t hang with that kind of stuff as long as you would like. Sometimes you would like to say ‘maybe if we hung a little bit longer, it would have been good.’ You just don’t know. That is the line that you are straddling. That is the difficult thing. If I just stay, and all of a sudden nothing changes and all of sudden the game is over and you have been running the same plays, averaging about a yard a gain, you guys would be the first ones to say, ‘Why didn’t you change?’ Then sometimes you say ‘maybe if we hung, would it have changed?’ So, you don’t know. You go by just gut feeling, what do you see. Does it look like it was a mistake here that was easily explained or identified and it is discernable if we do just this we are ready to go? Or, is it something that maybe is not quite clicking and it is more than one area? Maybe we better modify our approach and try a different emphasis and maybe that will kick in with the running game.

Brandon Jacobs knows that with Danny Ware out and Ahmad Bradshaw hurting, he will be on the field more Sunday.

"Who else are they going to give it to? I’m joking, man. I do expect to see more carries, I do expect more playing time than I normally get. I am looking forward to that challenge and looking forward to that opportunity."

Justin Tuck says there is a "strong dislike" between the Giants and Cowboys. I wonder if he figured that out before, or after, Flozell Adams tripped him and messed up his shoulder.

Who is Jonathan Goff? I'm excited to find out

Ed Valentine — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:00:21 -0000

I don't know about you guys, but I am pumped up to see what Jonathan Goff can do at middle linebacker for the New York Giants Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys.

The Giants have been high on Goff since taking him in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He has shown flashes of athleticism and tackling ability on special teams. Now, we find out if the 6-foot-2, 236-pound second-year guy can be the Giants middle linebacker of the future.

I am not expecting the second coming of Ray Lewis on Sunday. And I'm not expecting a mistake-free performance. But, if he can show the ability to be stout in the middle, make plays sideline to sideline and get in the backfield once in a while that will be enough for me.

Here is a Goff highlight reel from his days at Vanderbilt.

New York Giants Notebook: 12-3-09

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

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

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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.