SB Nation - Bryan Kehl

Bonus Giants notes: Boley, Pierce, Blackburn

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

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

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

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

New York Giants news & notes: Gerris Wilkinson surgery, and more

Ed Valentine — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:00:40 -0000

Here are some of the stories making the rounds of the Inter-Google today about our New York Giants.

In case you missed this one, New York Giants reserve linebacker Gerris Wilkinson had wrist surgery Monday and might end up on Injured Reserve.

My take: Wilkinson is a guy who the Giants had high hopes for a couple of seasons ago. He just can't seem to put together a full season, though. Personally, I didn't understand why Wilkinson was active and Bryan Kehl didn't dress Sunday against the Chargers. I guess that won't be an issue anymore.
In a rather long-winded way, Filip Bondy of the New York Daily News said the only difference between this Giants team and the 2007 championship team is that this team has not made the big play at the right time.

Suddenly the Giants can't even win when they are doing nearly everything they should be doing.

You can rip Coughlin for taking the three points a couple of times, when he might have tried for seven. You can argue that Eli Manning might have looked downfield a bit more, instead of always accepting what was left for him underneath. But really, for the most part, this is how the Giants marched all the way to a Super Bowl title not so long ago. They outgained the Chargers by nearly 80 yards, owned possession of the ball for nearly 38 minutes.

This is what we wanted from them.

That 2007 championship team also took what was given. The difference was that those Giants made the big defensive stop, or that one big play on offense. David Tyree caught a football on his helmet. This team doesn't do that. This one gives up the decisive touchdown drive, leaves the receiver wide open in the end zone in the final minute. It misses the sack that Michael Strahan might have finished.
Vinny DiTrani of NorthJersey.com ponders the long and pothole-filled road the Giants have to traverse to get the playoffs.

Monday Transcripts

The Giants are broken ... Now, how can they be fixed?

Ed Valentine — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:00:20 -0000

by Michael Perez - AP

Philadelphia Eagles' LeSean McCoy (29) rushes past New York Giants' Aaron Rouse (26) in the second half during an NFL football game Sunday. This type of thing has been happening to the Giants defense on a regular basis.

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We spent Monday complaining about all of the things that have gone wrong with our long-ago 5-0 New York Giants. Today, let's turn the page and think about what Tom Coughlin and Co. can do fix some of the things that have gone wrong the past three weeks.

I am starting with this premise. The biggest problem on this football team -- without any doubt in my mind -- is the underwhelming defense. This team was built to dominate defensively while the offense found its way as the young group of wide receivers grew into its responsibilities.

There have been weeks when the offense has not played well, which he realistically had to expect entering the season. Or when various aspects of the special teams have not played well. The one constant, though, has been that against good teams the defense has been completely overmatched.

When we weren't talking about Plaxico Burress during the off-season, we were talking about the devastating defense we thought General Manager Jerry Reese had assembled. So far this season, the only things the defense is devastating is the Giants' chance to be a good football team.

In the last three weeks the Giants have given up 112 points (37.3 per game) and been riddled by too many huge plays for me to even think about. Forget being a dominant defense. Bill Sheridan's unit is not even close to being a competent one right now.

So, what can be done to improve the situation? I am going to break this down into four categories -- defensive line, linebackers, secondary and philosophy.

via i391.photobucket.com

The defensive line

Remember back in the pre-season when we were wondering how defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan was going to find roster space -- and snaps -- for all the talented defensive linemen the Giants had collected?

Well, now the question is can anyone on that front four make a play?

The Giants are tied for seventh in the league with 18 sacks, but it is obvious that the front four cannot consistently pressure quarterbacks by itself -- which was the plan with this group. Osi is not the dominant force of yesteryear. Justin Tuck must still be nursing the Week 2 shoulder injury. Mathias Kiwanuka has been mostly a non-factor in recent weeks. The defensive tackles are non-existent in the pass rush.

The run defense has been horrible. Philadelphia ran for 180 yards, including 66 and 41-yard touchdown runs. Arizona, which is a bad running team, consistently got solid runs. New Orleans did what it wanted on the ground as well as in the air. All the way back to the Dallas game the run defense was a problem. In that game the Giants gave up runs of 56, 35 and 20 yards.

Way too often, running backs are hitting the second and third level of the Giants defense without being touched.

Fred Robbins and Barry Cofield are not holding up inside. Neither is Rocky Bernard, brought in from Seattle specifically to help the run defense. Jay Alford is gone for the year.

The solution? Inside I think all the Giants can hope for is that Chris Canty can make some plays if he ever comes back healthy. That is no guarantee, though, even if the Giants are paying him $42 million. He has never been a defensive tackle, and he has missed so much time there is no way of knowing how effective he can be. In all honesty, I have never been a big Cofield fan. As for Robbins and Bernard, I am wondering if both of these mammoth guys have just gotten old.

Outside, I think the only change the Giants can make is to start getting second-round pick Clint Sintim on the line in passing situations. Sintim and Osi at the ends, with Tuck and Kiwi at the tackles is the best pass-rush group the Giants can put on the field.

Other than that, all we can hope for is that Tuck and Umenyiora get healthier, and start making the plays they are being counted on to make.

via i268.photobucket.com

The linebackers

Ah, the linebackers. Ugh! There isn't much nice to say here. Without the injured Michael Boley this is an un-athletic, un-inspiring, un-imposing group.

Danny Clark? Nice guy, great character, Tom Coughlin loves him and DC will do great things off the field once his playing days are done. On the field, though, Clark should not be a starting linebacker in the NFL. The guy is old, slow and hardly ever makes a play. Pretty much, he is just out there.

Chase Blackburn? Again, great character guy. Great special teams player. Smart, can play multiple positions and is a good tackler. But, slow, not and doesn't get off his blocks very well. Not a play-making, starting caliber linebacker.

Antonio Pierce? We knew he is smart. We know he is the 'quarterback' of the defense. We also know he is slow in pass coverage, not very imposing in the middle of the defense and has been getting abused by offenses for the past two seasons. Who do you think teams are running at over and over and over when they gash the Giants up the middle? Sorry, but AP's best football is clearly behind him.

The solution? Clearly, some personnel changes are needed here. And this is an area of the defense where the Giants DO have some options. Those begin, again, with Sintim. I know the second-round pick from Virginia has clearly missed a lot of time on the practice field due to his leg injury earlier this season. He showed in the pre-season that he is an athlete, and a playmaker. It might be time to let Sintim learn on the field, replacing Clark. Sintim will make some mistakes, but he will also make some plays against the run simply with his athleticism. Against the pass? Put him at defensive end let him do what he does best -- get after quarterbacks.

On the other side, the Giants obviously miss Boley. In the couple of games he played before going down with a knee injury, he showed athleticism and cover skills the Giants have not had in an outside linebacker for a while. He will, of course, help when he returns. Until then? Sorry, Chase, but let's get Bryan Kehl on the field and see if he can help. Again, he is more athletic and maybe he can make a difference. Maybe he can't, but it's worth a shot to find out.

In the middle? The Giants are not moving Pierce out of there, as much as some of us might like them to. Blackburn is not the answer long-term in the middle, either. If the season spirals out of control (and Lord knows I am not wishing for that) I would like to see Jonathan Goff get a chance in the middle. He was impressive in pre-season and I want to know what he can do.

By the way, Clark, Blackburn and Gerris Wilkinson are free agents after this season. This group is headed for an off-season makeover.

The secondary

We have been over the issues with this group so many times I won't belabor them. The Giants miss Kenny Phillips so much I hate to even think about it. They miss Aaron Ross because at least he would provide them with some options. Have you noticed how often the Giants are playing 'nickel' with Michael Johnson, 'Bad, Bad C.C. Brown' and 'Just as Bad Aaron Rouse' on the field together? That's three safeties on the field in obvious passing situations -- none of whom can cover. A recipe for disaster.

There are no easy solutions here, though getting Ross back in some semblance of playing condition is probably the best the Giants can hope for. At least then in some of those passing situations they can get Brown off the field.

We would all love to see Brown get his pink slip. Yesterday. There is, truthfully, no help out there right now, however. If Reese could have done better than Rouse when KP went down he would have. But, teams don't jettison players mid-season without a good reason.

Maybe the Giants bring Sha'reef Rashad or Vince Anderson off the practice squad. It sure can't hurt, but it is no guarantee to help. Those guys are on the practice squad because the Giants didn't think they were ready to play at the NFL level yet.

Mostly, we just have to hope that Brown and Rouse learn from their mistakes, and get on the same page with the rest of the secondary. Oh, and that somebody back there remembers tackling is part of the job.

The philosophy

New defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan is under fire from every direction. Blitz more, Bill!. Don't blitz so much, Bill! How come your team can't play the run, Bill? Your guys can't cover, Bill! You can't carry Steve Spagnuolo's jock strap, Bill! Hey, Bill, we would have re-hired Tim Lewis or Johnnie Lynn if we wanted to watch this crap!

I have said it before -- I won't kill Sheridan over how much he blitzes or doesn't blitz. This team was built to pressure with four. It's not happening. They aren't getting home with the blitz, either. Because they just don't have the athletes.

That, really, is the crux of it. Right now the Giants simply don't have the athletes to be a dominant defense.

That said, it would be nice if Sheridan would remind his defensive backs that making a tackle once in a while would be nice.

Final word

I truly believe that better defense would solve a lot of the other problems the Giants are having. Inconsistent offense (which we expected entering the season), erratic special teams (which seems like a Giants trademark), the occasional incomprehensible Kevin Gilbride play call (yes, they do happen) would all be much less of an issue if the Giants could simply stop somebody once in a while.

We will see if Coughlin, Sheridan and Co. can figure out a way to make that happen. If they can't, the last eight games will be torture to watch.

'Kudos & Wet Willies:' How many Wet Willies can I give the defense?

Ed Valentine — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:01:26 -0000

More photos » by Bill Feig - AP

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) can only watch as New Orleans Saints safety Roman Harper (41) chases after the ball Manning just fumbled in the first half of an NFL football game between the New York Giants and New Orleans Saints in the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. The Saints recovered.

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OK, so the headline of this post gives away what I am thinking right now. At the very least, C.C. Brown is getting 'Wet Willies' for both ears.

Before I get to the full 'Kudos & Wet Willies', however, some general thoughts about Sunday's 48-27 embarrassment our New York Giants (5-1) suffered at the hands of the New Orleans Saints (5-0).

Be honest, after watching the past few games you had to at least think it was possible that Drew Brees and the Saints would do something like this to the Giants' defense. The pass rush has not been there consistently, and the secondary's stats have had more to do with the poor offenses the Giants had played against than anything special being done by the defensive backs.

Ralph Vacchiano said that Brees predicted that New Orleans would score at least 40 points on the Giants defense. Can't get mad at the guy when he's right. Shoot, the Saints could have put up 60 or more had they needed to, or wanted to. The Giants had absolutely no answers.

The Giants' offense was not perfect Sunday, either, but I am not going to waste time criticizing that unit. Eli Manning and crew had to figure out early that their defense had no chance of helping them, and there was no way the offense was going to match the Saints score-for-score, try as they might. Manning (14-for-31, one TD, one INT, one fumble) obviously did not have his best day. Offense, though, was not the problem. The Giants did move the ball, did average 5.7 yards per play and did score 27 points.

You can't win, though, when you have to score 50 just to have a chance. The Giants think, and we want to believe, they have a championship-caliber club. That won't happen, however, if they can't play better defense than that against good teams.

I am not jumping off the bridge, and I don't think you guys should either. It was just one bad game in a long season. Still, the ease with which the Saints dispatched the Giants is disturbing. Now, on with the 'Kudos & Wet Willies.'

Kudos to ...

Domenik Hixon: Welcome back to the role you are best suited for, Domenik! I know I'm not the only one, but I have been advocating Hixon's return to returning since training camp. Sunday, he showed why with seven kickoff returns for 230 yards, including 68 and 45-yard returns, and two punt returns for 51 yards. Throw in three pass receptions for 22 yards for good measure, and it was a great day for Hixon. He at least gave the Giants a chance.
Mario Manningham: Manningham had a decent game with four catches for 50 yards, and made a nice play to take an interception away from Darren Sharper and score a touchdown.
Hakeem Nicks: The No. 1 pick is developing nicely as a weapon for Manning. Five catches for 114 yards Sunday, including a 58-yard catch and run.
Ahmad Bradshaw: Ran had and well in limited opportunities, though it wasn't nearly enough to keep the Giants in the game. Bradshaw also missed a blitz pickup that led to an interception and had me debating whether or not to leave him off this list. I would give Brandon Jacobs 'kudos' to, but seven carries isn't enough to earn it. And his best play, a leaping touchdown catch in a huge crowd, was wiped out by a phantom penalty.

Now, we move on to the really brutal part of this.

Wet Willies to ...

The entire defense: Let's face it, that was an utterly embarrassing performance by a unit that calls itself one of the best in the league. They had no answers for the Saints. They could not cover receivers. They could not pressure Brees. They could not seem to get along with each other, as there were lots of 'discussions' between players who seemed not to be able to fulfill their assignments, make any plays or get the help they were expecting from other players. I will, of course, hand out plenty of individual 'Wet Willies,' but in all honesty I can't name one defensive player who actually had a good game.
C.C. Brown: So, here is next week's game plan for Kurt Warner and the Arizona Cardinals, and probably for every team the Giants play the rest of the season. Find the guy Brown is supposed to be covering, or the area he is supposed to be responsible for, and throw the ball there. Brown had a team-high 13 tackles Sunday, but that is only because it seemed like nearly every New Orleans play was designed to abuse him. In man coverage, allegedly, Brown had no chance. In zone coverage, he was repeatedly late arriving or made a bad read and went to the wrong area entirely (just ask Kevin Dockery). I said way back in training camp and pre-season that Brown is terrible in coverage. The only reason it has not been an issue until now is because of the inept offenses the Giants faced the past three weeks. I don't know if Aaron Rouse, or one of the guys on the Giants' practice squad is any better but Brown will be an issue the rest of the season.
The defensive line: In the pre-season I was asked if the Giants had put together a historically good defensive line. My question right now is more along the lines of "is this group over-rated?' One sack Sunday, and that came from linebacker Chase Blackburn. Pressure from the defensive line was totally non-existent Sunday, and if the Giants can't pressure we now see what can happen to this weakened secondary. The Giants have now had games this season when their line has been gashed with the running game, and more than one game where the pass rush from the front four has been invisible. They can't miss Chris Canty and Jay Alford that much, can they?
Bill Sheridan: The rookie defensive coordinator has gotten lots of praise thus far in 2009. When your defense looks that far overmatched, though, the coordinator has to take a hit. Sheridan could not find a way to get pressure. He could not find a way to get the Giants in coverages that worked. There were, seemingly, too many blown coverages and guys out of position. Too many lineman and linebackers looking like they were freelancing instead of playing the defense. Sean Payton made Sheridan and the Giants look defenseless, and the coordinator needs to take some of the blame.
Eli Manning: I almost feel bad giving Eli a 'Wet Willie' here. Absolute perfection from the Giants offense would probably not have been enough to win Sunday. Manning had a rough game, though, just missing a few open receivers, throwing a bad interception and coughing up a fumble that was a huge turning point. By the way, have you ever seen Eli get in a player's face the way he got after Bradshaw for the missed blitz pickup that caused the interception? He not only very obviously yelled at AB, but he grabbed him by the shoulder pads and gave him a little 'what the heck were you doing?' shove. Wow!
The officiating: I am not going to whine here, because the Giants got blown out of the Louisiana Superdome all by themselves. They would have needed a ton of help just to be in the game, like maybe being allowed to use 14-15 defenders not named C.C. Brown. But how many bad, or phantom, calls were there in that game. Pass interference on Corey Webster? Face mask on Bryan Kehl? I'm still looking for the holding call on Shaun O'Hara that negated Jacobs' touchdown catch. The officials are going to get calls wrong. The thing that bothers me is when flags get throws for things they 'think' they see. If you are an official and you aren't 'sure' you see something, you have to keep the flag in your pocket.
Me: What did I do, you ask? Well, I hate to admit that Sunday is the first time this year I failed to wear one of my Giants' shirts on a game day. I did have my Giants' winter cap on to try (unsuccessfully, I might add) to stay warm at my son's soccer game. The cap, apparently, does not carry any good luck with it.

This list could probably be a lot longer. I can't stand it anymore, though, so that's enough for now.

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

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

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

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

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

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

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

Kudos to ...

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

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

Wet Willies to ...

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

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

Ed Valentine — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:09:13 -0000

Time for my weekly Q&A with long-time New York Giants beat writer and current fellow blogger Ernie Palladino. As always, we are answering the same set of questions. You will find my answers over at Ernie's Giants Beat.

1. If Eli Manning does play against Oakland, how effective will he be on that injured right heel?

Ernie's Answer: "As tough as Eli has shown in the past, having an injured heel is an entirely different situation than, say, a shoulder. Most people think a passer's strength comes from his arm. But in reality, those deep throws are a function of a solid base to throw off of. Without that, the passes either float or lose distance. So unless an anti-inflammatory injection indeed relieves the pain enough for him to move unfettered, expect a shortening up of the game plan to accommodate the injury. Also, the offensive line will have to hold their blocks a lot longer since he won't be able to move around in the pocket very well. Still, having Manning in there at 75 percent efficiency is, to me, still better than the alternative in David Carr. I think if the running game can get going and Steve Smith can get open in the middle zones, Manning can still have an effective passing game. You just won't see as many long shots as you've seen in previous games."

2. With Michael Boley sidelined for approximately four weeks following Tuesday's arthoscopic knee surgery, is Chase Blackburn or Bryan Kehl the best option to replace him at weakside linebacker?

Ernie's Answer: "Thanks to Kehl's broken finger, which he has had repaired surgically, Blackburn will be starting. That's not a bad thing because the kid's got a great motor and he can get into the backfield. Though he's not the great cover linebacker around, you have to love his intensity. But Kehl's status bears watching. He was in the process of driving the trainers crazy, trying to convince them that a mere two screws surgically implanted in a left index finger is no reason to miss a game or two. If his argument is successful, I wouldn't be adverse to seeing him at WLB for a couple of series. He's earned the time with his special teams play, having gotten the special teams game ball two games in a row now. He proved he can be around the ball with his fumble recovery of the opening kickoff, and his recovery of the on-side kick that opened the second half showed he has good hands. On top of that, he, too, has had experience at WSL, having started two games there after original starter Gerris Wilkinson went down injured. And like he said this week, "I've got another hand." I think there's a good possibility that he'll be active, despite predictions that he'll miss two games.

3. With a quarter of the season gone, what is your assessment of the Giants. Are they truly an elite team, or can't we tell because they've been beating up on inferior competiton?

Ernie's Answer: "Oh, I think we can tell. The phrase "beating up" is key here because, in past seasons, the Giants would often play down to the level of their competition. In fact, had this recent road stretch against two of the NFL's have-nots come, say, two years ago, the Giants might have dropped one, if not two of those contests. Remember the life-and-death game against a bad Bears' team in Chicago in 2007, where only a circus catch by Amani Toomer in the end zone won it? Or the last-minute goal line stand in FedEx Field that same year that saved their season against a decidedly mediocre Redskins squad. Those occurrences aren't happening this year. They're blowing bad teams out now, which is the hallmark of an elite team. You expect them to go down to the wire in Dallas. But the easy victories over Tampa and KC show the real strength of this team. Now, a lot depends on the health of Eli Manning, but if they can get through the Oakland game and then head to the Superdome for even a tight, hard-fought loss to the Saints, the Giants must be considered a legitimate power. I already consider them one. A few more injuries, though, and you might see this power sink to also-ran status quickly."

4. Now that the Giants are sticking with Lawrence Tynes, how long can Tom Coughlin put up with him missing makeable field goals?

Ernie's Answer: "Not long, apparently. Although Matt Bryant was not deemed an answer in his tryout Tuesday, it was obvious that Coughlin has just about had enough. Perhaps the tryouts were simply a way of sending a message to Tynes that he'd better get himself straightened out quickly. But the fact is, Tynes still hasn't cost the Giants a game with his misses. As annoying as those misses are, Tynes still leads NFL kickers with 41 points. And let's face it, the only kick he missed when it was still a game was the one in Dallas as the Giants led 20-17. His miss in Tampa came at 14-0, and the one against KC came at 20-3. Annoying, yes. But not a big deal. Had last year's robot, John Carney, hit the market this week, it might have been a different story. But until he comes free from New Orleans, I wouldn't expect any panic moves from Coughlin. Another miss, though, and that might change."

New York Giants news and notes: Of course, it's about Eli

Ed Valentine — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:15:24 -0000

via i.cdn.turner.com No chat with a Raiders blogger this week. But, I still have to get you at least one Raiderette photo.

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You would never believe it if I told you lots of the questions following Wednesday's New York Giants practice were about the availability of Eli Manning for Sunday's game despite plantar fasciitis. But, they were so I am telling you anyway.

Here is Eli discussing his availability after not practicing.

"There are no guarantees really, just have to take it day by day, see if it gets better so you never know what can happen. It has been improving every day so hopefully it will continue to do that," Manning said. "Compared to how it felt on Monday, it feels a lot better, so I am happy with the progress. I am happy that it is improving, that I am walking around better, having less pain, so that is all good stuff."

Tynes says he has "plantar alignment"

I am glad Tynes still has a sense of humor after his struggles thus far this season. I will be even happier when he stops missing field goals he should be making. Tynes thinks he might have found a reason for his struggles.

Tynes said he and special-teams coach Tom Quinn have discovered a problem by looking at film of his mechanics from 2007 and last season. Tynes’ plant foot (his left one) was at the ideal spot six inches away from the ball. They compared it to film of his recent kicks and saw lately his plant foot has been 10 inches or more away from the ball.

"That could be a pretty big reason why I’m swinging across or I’ve missed a couple left and have left some out ot the right," Tynes said. "That was encouraging, for sure, to see that."

Tynes knows where his left foot should be all the time, but like any craft that requires exact mechanics, it’s easy to fall into bad habits. The key is getting rid of them quickly, which is something punter Jeff Feagles is able to do.

"You always have to stay on top of what you’re doing," Tynes said. "Jeff’s been in this thing 22 years and he’s still (working on his mechanics). There were a couple of weeks between camp where he was working on simple stuff he had just forgotten. It’s a never-ending process."

The state of the Raiders

It's pretty ugly in the land of the silver and black. How ugly? Well, defensive end Richard Seymour, recently of the perennial power New England Patriots was asked about Oakland and responded "Well, the weather's nice."

Seymour tried his best to put a positive spin on both the Raiders' struggles and his place with his new team.

"When I came to New England it wasn’t a team that was always contending. We were coming off a 5-11 season. It is just something that we built over the course of time," he said. "We definitely have talent. But, as we all know, talent alone isn’t going to get the job done. It takes a group of guys that are all on the same page and are trying to fight for the same common goals. I think that is definitely what it takes. Like I said, we have that talent in the locker room but we just have to put it out on the football field.

Tom Cable was asked about preparing for the Giants with the uncertainty surrounding Manning. I got a kick out of his telling response.

"Well, our issues are us, quite frankly. We are 1-3 and disappointed in that. And so we really can’t worry too much about what is going on with someone else.," Cable said. "We have to worry about us right now. And that has kind of been our thing."

Other Injury News

Tight end Kevin Boss said he is "seeing improvement every day" in his injured ankle. Bryan Kehl is lobbying for a chance to play Sunday despite having surgery Monday to repair a broken index finger. Gotta love the young man's attitude.

"I think I can, but we will see if they let me," Kehl said. How would he tackle an opposing player? "I have two arms, I have another hand and two shoulders. I’m not worried at all. I have two other fingers. No problem, I mean guys play with broken hands all the time."

Even More Stuff to Read

Matt Mosley of ESPN says Giants' cornerback Bruce Johnson is the most surprising rookie in the NFC East.
Pierce: Defenders need defending too

'Kudos & Wet Willies,' Steve Smith edition

Ed Valentine — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 11:08:36 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

New York Giants wide receiver Steve Smith, left, is congratulated by teammate Mario Manningham after catching a 25-yard touchdown pass during the second quarter of an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2009, in Kansas City, Mo.

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Ah, another happy Monday in the Land of the 4-0 New York Giants. Not much to complain about today, unless you are a really, really pessimistic never-going-to-be-happy kind of fan. That said, let's get on to the weekly 'Kudos & Wet Willies.'

Kudos to ...

Steve Smith: This Smith is pretty darn good. How good? Historically good. He has 34 catches in four games which is the most receptions through four games in franchise history. I think we know who the Giants' No. 1 guy is now. Check out what Don Banks of SI.com wrote about Smith Sunday night. Maybe until further notice, Carolina's Steve Smith should be identified as the "other Steve Smith,'' because the Giants' Steve Smith certainly doesn't deserve an afterthought designation. New York's Smith caught 11 more passes for 134 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the Giants' 27-16 win at Kansas City, and now has a team-leading 34 receptions for 411 yards and four touchdowns this season. Carolina's Smith, he of the Pro Bowl pedigree, has yet to make much impact for the winless Panthers. Smith has caught just 15 passes for 190 yards, and is still waiting for his first score of the season. My take: Smith is an impossible cover on short to intermediate routes, and it's obvious Eli Manning loves throwing him the ball.
Eli Manning: It is becoming routine, but this was another terrific game for Manning. He was 20-for-34 for 292 yards and three touchdowns. He fumbled once and was intercepted once, but the pick was clearly Mario Manningham's fault. The ball hit him right in the hands, and he was open. An NFL receiver needs to make that play. Eli has a career-best 63.2 percent completion rate and a 104 QB rating after four games. Now, we just have to cross our fingers that his heel injury isn't serious.

Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw: The Giants' running backs pretty much did what they wanted against the Chiefs defense. The longest run of the day was a 17-yarder by Jacobs, but the Giants moved the chains pretty much at will with the running game Sunday. There should not be any complaints this week about Jacobs not running hard enough.
Hakeem Nicks: Hey, if you are only going to make one catch you might as well snag a screen pass, make a bunch of guys miss and go 54 yards to the house. That's maximizing your opportunities.
Bryan Kehl: The second-year linebacker made two game-changing plays on special teams. First, he recovered a fumble on the opening kickoff. Then, he alertly scrambled to grab the onside kick the Chiefs opened the second half with. You could make an argument that those were the two most important plays in the game.
Michael Boley: I listened to most of the second half while sitting at my son's soccer game, and I kept hearing Boley's name again and again. Five tackles, a sack and the Carl Banks linebacking stamp of approval. That's good enough for me.
Antonio Pierce: Seven tackles, a forced fumble, and a stellar job -- as usual -- getting his teammates into the proper positions to make plays.
C.C. Brown: Six tackles and a forced fumble. At least for one week, Kenny Phillips could not have played any better.
The defensive line: Hard to single out anyone here, and the entire group played well. The Giants had five sacks, and Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, Rocky Bernard and Mathias Kiwanuka all got one. The Chiefs averaged just 3.1 yards per play, and that's largely a credit to the play of the front four.
Kevin Gilbride: I have to give Gilbride some props. I loved the mix of short and long passes, the use of screens, a perfectly-timed direct snap to Ahmad Bradshaw (funny because KG got killed here at BBV the last time he called that play), five balls completed to tight ends, an effective running attack. Despite the Giants going just 1-for-4 in the red zone, I thought KG had a good day.

Wet Willies to ...

Yes, I have to give out a couple of these. You guys probably know who they are going to but I will list them anyway.

Lawrence Tynes: You know that squirming you do before each Tynes field goal? It's not hemorrhoids. That itchy, uncomfortable feeling you get when he trots on the field? It's not a rash. It's Lawrence Tynes Anxiety Disorder. Just when I was thinking Tynes had found, at least temporarily, a cure he pushed a very makeable 38-yard field goal just right. So, our bouts with Lawrence Tynes Anxiety Disorder will continue.
Mario Manningham: Whatever nickname you want to use for Manningham, he certainly was not Super on Sunday. Yes, he made a juggling 43-yard catch Sunday (I'm starting to wonder if those kind of 'watch Mario chase the bouncing ball' catches will become a Sunday routine. He dropped at least three balls, though, including one that became an interception. Toughest day of the season thus far for the talented second-year wide receiver.

NFL Preview: Former BYU Cougars

sroufe — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 23:42:32 -0000

More photos » by John Amis - AP

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh greets former BYU quarterback John Beck (12) as he comes back to the sideline after a first half touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons during their exhibition NFL football game Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Amis)

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With the 2009 NFL season kicking off tonight in Pittsburgh, it's appropriate to provide a brief preview covering former Cougars playing professionally. There are currently 12 former BYU players on NFL rosters, including rookie WR Austin Collie who finished second on the Indianapolis Colts in receptions during the preseason with eight catches for 69 yards. Two former Cougars should also be playing tonight however in Chris Hoke and Brett Keisel, veterans and long-time Pittsburgh Steelers. (Not a coincidence that last season's champions rostered three BYU alums - the most in the NFL.)

Other players of note include John Beck (reunited with Cam Cameron, the former Miami Head Coach who drafted him) in Baltimore. Beck is QB Joe Flacco's backup along with Troy Smith. Interestingly, Todd Watkins has made the Raiders' roster after struggling to make teams in Arizona and Atlanta. (Of course, his speed certainly didn't hurt his chances with Al Davis' obsession. See: Heyward-Bey, Darrius)

Former BYU linebackers Bryan Kehl (Giants) and Brady Poppinga (Packers) should see a lot of action this season. Last but not least, Fahu Tahi (who signed an offer sheet to return to the Bengals this offseason, but had the offer matched by the Vikings) will get a chance to block for not only Adrian Peterson, but Brett Favre as well.

After the jump is a comprehensive list of those currently playing professionally, their years spent at BYU, and their current teams. Who will you be paying the most attention to this season?

NFL

(2004, 2007-08) Austin Collie, WR, Indianapolis Colts (Rookie)
(2004-05) Todd Watkins, WR, Oakland Raiders
(2003-06) John Beck, QB, Baltimore Ravens
(2003-06) Daniel Coats, TE, Cincinnati Bengals
(2002, 2005-07) Bryan Kehl, LB, New York Giants
(2001-04) Brady Poppinga, LB, Green Bay Packers
(2001-04) Aaron Francisco, S, Indianapolis Colts
(2001-04) John Denney, LS, Miami Dolphins
(1999, 2003-05) Fahu Tahi, FB, Minnesota Vikings
(1998, 2000-01) Brett Keisel, DE, Pittsburgh Steelers
(1998-01) Ryan Denney, DE, Buffalo Bills
(1997-00) Chris Hoke, DT, Pittsburgh Steelers

Free Agents

(2006-08) Travis Bright, OG (Dallas Cowboys) (Rookie 2009)
(2006-08) David Oswald, OT (St. Louis Rams) (Rookie 2009)
(2006-07) Kelly Poppinga, LB (Arizona Cardinals)
(2005-08) Ray Feinga, OG (San Diego Chargers) (Rookie 2009)
(2005-08) Dallas Reynolds, OG (Philadelphia Eagles) (Rookie 2009)
(2003, 2006-08) David Nixon, LB (Oakland Raiders) (Rookie 2009)
(2003, 2006-08) Fui Vakapuna, FB (Cincinnati Bengals) (Rookie 2009)
(2005-06) Jonny Harline, TE (Cleveland Browns)
(2004-06) Cameron Jensen, LB (Seattle Seahawks)
(2004-06) Zac Collie, WR (Philadelphia Eagles)
(2002-04, 2006) Curtis Brown, RB (Oakland Raiders)
(2002-04) Shaun Nua, DE (Pittsburgh Steelers)
(2002-04) Scott Young, OG (Cleveland Browns)
(2000-03) Scott Jackson, OG (Houston Texans)
(1998, 2001-02) Reno Mahe, RB (Philadelphia Eagles)
(1996-98) John Tait, OT (Chicago Bears)
(1993, 1997-99) Rob Morris, LB (Indianapolis Colts)

CFL

(2005-06) Aaron Wagner, LB, Saskatchewan Roughriders
(1997, 2000-01) Ben Archibald, OG, Calgary Stampeders (New Orleans Saints)
(1996-97) Ben Cahoon, WR, Montreal Alouettes
(1996-97) Omarr Morgan, CB, Saskatchewan Roughriders (St. Louis Rams)

UFL

(2000-03) Colby Bockwoldt, LB, Florida Tuskers (Cleveland Browns)

AFL

(2003-06) Jake Kuresa, OT, Utah Blaze (New Orleans Saints)

(Should there be any errors or additions please feel free to correct me in the comments below.)

New York Giants Training Camp: Afternoon practice report

Ed Valentine — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 22:27:17 -0000

More photos » by Mike Groll - AP

New York Giants fans watch practice at the University at Albany during NFL football training camp in Albany Tuesday.

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When I tell you who I thought was the most impressive player on the field during Tuesday afternoon's workout during New York Giants training camp, you might rub your eyes, read it a couple of times and wonder, 'who the heck is that and what is Ed talking about? Maybe the sun has fried his brain.'

The best player on the field was safety Vince Anderson. Yes, Vince Anderson. Yes, the Vince Anderson who was signed as an undrafted free agent cornerback out of tiny Webber International, a school I had never heard of.

Anderson, 6-foot-2, 205 pounds has been moved to safety by the Giants. Anderson made a pair of interceptions Tuesday afternoon on poorly thrown balls by Rhett Bomar (yes, my fav Rhett). He also tipped away a long ball from David Carr that seemed destined to become Hakeem Nicks' first huge play of camp.

The Giants have three safeties they know they can depend on. Michael Johnson, Kenny Phillips and C.C. Brown will see most of the playing time.

There is a nice little battle shaping up for the fourth safety slot between Travonti Johnson, undrafted free agent Sha'reef Rashad and Anderson. Who knows? Anderson might not do a thing the rest of camp, but Tuesday afternoon he stamped himself as a contender for that last safety spot.

The other most notable thing about Tuesday afternoon's session was Tom Coughlin's foul mood. After expressing plenty of unhappiness with his offense in his morning press briefing, TC let his offense have it most of the afternoon. During the first set of 11-on-11 drills there were quite a few unprintable TC explosions when mistakes were made. To say the least the head coach is not happy with what he is seeing from his offense thus far.
Steve Smith rebounded from a sub-par morning with an excellent afternoon. Smith's highlight play was the first pass of the day, when he beat Aaron Ross deep and hauled in what would have been an 80-yard touchdown catch.
By the way, before I forget to mention it, the wind conditions at UAlbany this afternoon were good practice for Eli when it comes to handling Giants Stadium winds in December. It was very blustery, and Eli tossed a couple of wobblers. For the most part, though, he delivered the ball well.
Rookie receivers Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden both made a couple of nice grabs. The more I watch Barden the more I wonder how he got all the way to the tail end of the third round. With his size and strength he looks like one of those guys you can complete passes to even when you know he isn't open.
Bryan Kehl had an interception for the second straight day. He picked off Eli on a pass intended for Kevin Boss. Pretty obvious Eli never saw him. It's also pretty obvious to these eyes that Kehl is a better player than Gerris Wilkinson. Which leads to the question -- why is Wilkinson working with the first unit and Kehl the second?
Watched Lawrence Tynes kick off four times and nail three into the end zone. Of course, he did have the wind at his back. Tynes did not miss a field goal toward the end of practice, making something like 8-10 in a row (I stupidly didn't bother to count).
By the way, both Jay Alford and Zak DeOssie snapped during field goal drills. Every Alford snap was high, and Jeff Feagles had to pull it down. Every DeOssie snap was perfect. I am going to continue to ask. Why isn't DeOssie handling ALL of the snapping during games?
By the way, what does it tell you that Eli was the first non-kicker or snapper on the field this afternoon? By a wide margin. And yes, that means yours truly was the first reporter there -- early enough to notice.