Monthly Archives: December 2008
The Giants dropped their final game of the regular season to the Vikings on a 50-yard field goal by Ryan Longwell as time expired. The win gives the Vikings the NFC North title.
Derrick Ward had 77 yards on 15 carries. He topped 1,000 yards rushing, making him and Brandon Jacobs the fourth pair of teammates to top 1,000 yards rushing in a season. Adrian Peterson rushed for 103 yards, his 10th 100-yard rushing game of the season. Peterson became the fifth player in league history to reach 3,000 yards in his first two years and looks set to win the rushing title with a healthy lead over Atlanta’s Michael Turner.
David Carr took over for Eli Manning at halftime and threw a touchdown pass to Domenik Hixon in the third quarter to give the Giants a 16-10 lead. Carr was 8-for-11, and threw for 110 yards. Hixon caught four passes for 62 yards in the game. Manning was 11-for-19, and threw for 119 yards in the first half.
John Carney kicked his fourth field goal of the game early in the fourth to give the Giants a 19-10 lead. He missed his fifth attempt from 48 yards with 3:17 left in the game. The Vikings got within two points when Tavaris Jackson found Bernard Berrian. The Vikings final drive got them close enough for Longwell to kick the winning field goal.
The Giants had already clinched home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs with last week’s overtime win over Carolina and pulled most of their starters at the half. Brandon Jacobs, Aaron Ross, Gerris Wilkinson, Kevin Boss, Barry Cofield, Derek Hagan, Leger Dousable, and Lawrence Tynes were all declared inactive before the game.
As the new year closes in I thought it might be interesting to take a look back at some old Giants and see where they are now.
Jeremy Shockey- A lightning rod in New York he proved to be the same in New Orleans. When not fighting with Drew Brees, Shockey managed to catch 50 balls for 483 yards with 0 touchdowns. The numbers aren’t bad but it’s clear Shockey can be a distraction. As a first round pick he certainly has put up solid numbers but never lived up to the extreme hype that was placed on him, perhaps unfairly. This good ol’ boy is better served away from the NY media. A 2nd and 5th round choice seems to be a great deal, especially with Kevin Boss coming along nicely. Advantage Reese.
Gibril Wilson – Bottom line, he took the money and ran back to his hometown. Nothing wrong with that but Reese was smart enough to know when to put the wallet away. Gibril is the third highest paid safety in the league and that’s a good sign that Al Davis has completely lost his mind. Gibril has put up nice stats in Oakland with 122 tackles and two interceptions, but his talents are wasted on team romparoom . With the drafting of Kenny Phillips the Giants once again had the depth to incur this loss. Advantage Reese.
Kawika Mitchell – Mitchell also took the money and ran, this time to Buffalo, and again you can’t blame him in this violent sport. Nothing about Mitchell’s game stands out (except his hair), his stats aren’t special (78 tackles 2 interceptions, 4 sacks) but he seems to make all the right plays when it matters. The Giants are not deep at LB and Gerris Wilkinson did not turn into the player they expected. The Giants are better off when their backers are off the field and Michael Johnson is playing the LB spot in the nickel. The current Giants don’t rely on linebackers like they once did, therefore this one is a push. Advantage push.
Will Allen – This was an Accorsi decision but one worth looking at considering he was a first round pick. Allen showed promise as a cover corner but as a Giant his hands seemed to be painfully slippery. During the Panthers game I received this text after Aaron Ross and Kevin Dockery dropped sure interceptions “looks like we have a case of the wills.” It seemed like every time Allen had a ball thrown his way he would not only drop it but find a way to tip it into an opponents hands. Allen has recovered nicely in Miami and become a very good cover corner but his hands continue to fail him as he has only 5 picks in the last 3 years. With Aaron Ross and Corey Webster on the scene the Giants have strengthened the position Advantage Accorsi/ or is this a disadvantage because he drafted him?
Jay Feely – Jay had a nice kicking percentage as a giant in 2005 and 2006 and then an even better one in Miami the following year. He has done a nice job filling in for injured place kicker Mike Nugent as a Jet, but all Giants fans will remember him for missing 3 field goals in Seattle. I think Lawrence Tynes was on the verge of becoming the next Feely until he made the greatest 47 yard kick in NFL history in Green Bay (I take it back, 2nd greatest 47 yard kick right behind Norwoods 47 yard miss). Feely’s attitude was also questioned in New York which seemed to be backed up this year when Herm Edwards called Feely in at the beginning of the year and cut him after one day as a chief. Advantage push
Will Peterson/James – As a third round pick many people believed he was the better of the two Will’s. Those people turned out to be wrong. Peterson who later changed his name to James (so as not to be confused with Norm Peterson of cheers, sorry, only famous peterson I could remember) lost his Giants career to a back injury which caused him to miss much of 2005. It was a no brainer for Accorsi to let his former 3rd rounder go, and since then James has bounced from the Eagles to the Jaguars playing in limited fashion as a nickel corner. Advantage nobody.
Reggi Torbor- This is Miami’s sequel to the Scott Galyon project, which also failed miserably. Unfortunately Reggie is the classic Larry Brown example. A guy taken off a Superbowl team, overpaid, and not living up to the hype. Through 15 games Torbor has 16 tackles and .5 sacks. No Reggie isn’t being paid a lot but anything is overpaid for 16 tackles. Advantage Reese.
Cornelius Griffin – When the Giants let Griffin go I thought they had made a mistake. Griffin is a big time clogger in the middle and is stout against the run. The extremely cheap addition of big Fred Robbins not only counteracted the loss but improved the position as well. Griffin is no slouch and has been the starting tackle for the Redskins the last 4 years. While his numbers aren’t gaudy (what tackles are?) he continues to be a solid defensive player, still with a bigger contract and the effectiveness of his replacement this is Advantage Accorsi.
Some non active players who I always rooted for as former Giants;
Joe Jurevicous, who has vowed not to retire, has amassed 221 catches since leaving the Gmen.
Easy Ed Mcaffrey (you can’t have two easy’s on one team I suppose) Ed went on to make a pro bowl appearance as a Bronco, catch 101 balls in one year, and win 3 Superbowls. He also goes down as the the guy most likely to be on ESPN’S primetime for getting lit up like a Christmas tree. No one got hit harder over his career then Ed, I now give this title to Dallas Clark who seems to be a punching bag for safeties across the league.
Just a small glimpse at some former Giants - Advantage – 2007/08 Superbowl Champs!
For the first time all year, the Giants are in a situation in which winning the game is not the most important thing. Instead, it is in the Giants’ best interest to stay healthy while maintaining their dignity and confidence. Winning the game would be nice, but in this situation, there are moral victories. These five keys will give them the best chance to beat the Vikings while also staying healthy and maintaining momentum for another playoff run.
1. Don’t Risk It All
Much has been written about Tom Coughlin’s decision to play the starters last year in week 17, and how it may have given the Giants the boost needed to make their Super Bowl run. Whether or not you believe that things like confidence and momentum play a factor in deciding games, there is little doubt that the Giants benefited from playing the Patriots once before beating them in the Super Bowl.
But the circumstances are different this year. After wrapping up the #1 seed with last week’s thrilling win, the confidence level is as high as it’s going to be. By playing their starters this week, the Giants not only risk allowing the Vikings to gain the same type of momentum that they themselves gained last year, but they also tip their hand for a possible playoff rematch. I don’t see enough potential reward to risk any of our starters sustaining an injury. Coughlin should let his starters play for no more than the first half, while resting anybody with even the smallest injury. If the Giants lose with their backups on the field, it’s no big deal. But if guys like David Carr and Danny Ware can somehow lead the Giants to victory over the Vikings starters, the overall team confidence will benefit.
2. Stop Peterson
“All Day” Adrian Peterson leads the NFL in rushing yards and is second in rushing attempts. Last week, the Giants were gashed by DeAngelo Williams, and there is no doubt the Vikings will look to do the same thing. The Giants should keep eight men in the box at all times, as establishing Peterson is this team’s #1 priority. The Vikings’ passing game is 27th overall, and Peterson is not much of a threat as a receiver, so stopping the run is key.
3. Do Not Put Hixon on Kick Returns
In fact, don’t play him at all. Domenik Hixon has been banged up recently, and two weeks off should be more than enough time to get healthy. Healthy enough so that he can start returning kicks in the playoffs. This could also be a good opportunity to get guys like Mario Manningham, Sinorice Moss and the newly signed Derrick Hagan some playing time with Eli Manning and the first team offense.
4. Let Tynes Kickoff
John Carney might be the biggest surprise for the Giants this season; he has missed only two kicks, and both were blocked. But as good as he’s been at kicking field goals, he has been a liability on kickoffs. Consistently giving opponents a short field to work with is not something that can be easily overcome, especially against playoff caliber teams. The Giants should experiment and activate Lawrence Tynes for kickoff duties again. If the disparity in field position is noticeable (and I think it would be), the Giants should allow him to perform kickoff duties in the playoffs. The difference between opponents starting at their own 25 and their own 35 could be the difference between playing in the Super Bowl again and watching it on TV.
5. Get Ward 52 Yards…Then Take Him Out
As David Jacks pointed out earlier this week, Derrick Ward is 52 yards away from 1,000 yards. Reaching this mark would give the Giants two 1,000 yard rushers, a feat that has been accomplished only three times before. Judging by comments made by Brandon Jacobs (1,089 rush yards), this milestone would mean a lot to the team. And if it makes them happy, it makes me happy.
If Derrick Ward can rush for 52 yards this Sunday the Giants will join three other teams in NFL history for having two running backs gain 1,000 yards in the same year. Larry Csonka and Mercury Morris did it for the undefeated Miami Dolphins in 1972. Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier each went for 1,000 for the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers in 1976, and Earnest Byner and Kevin Mack each hit the mark for Cleveland in 1985 (they did not win the Super Bowl).
Brandon Jacobs is already over 1,000 yards rushing and had this to say about the potential milestone;
“It would mean a lot to us. Derrick works hard and he deserves it. He has been under the radar a lot, so if he can get this done and get these 52 yards and make that happen I’d be very, very, very happy. To be honest with you, that is a very special thing to share with someone like him and as close as we are.”
Brandon also said he realizes this may mean the end to Earth and Wind for next year, as they are both up for contract. It seems Giants fans are alright with this, as even in a 300+ yard performance many of them were clamoring for fire, or Ahmad Bradshaw, who most likely will take over the wind role next year, and may be even more electric then the current wind.
This is an interesting statistic because as it turns out the Atlanta Falcons also had two players rush for 1,000 yards in 2006, but one of those rushers was Quarterback Mike Vick. It seems inevitable that the Giants will re-sign the baby Rhinoceros Brandon Jacobs, which means Derrick Ward might be elsewhere. With Danny Ware and Ahmad Bradshaw as back ups the Giants still run deep at RB.
Well Giants fans, we did it; #1 seed in the NFC playoffs. I’m only a part-time football fan, so I’m not exactly sure what this means. But it sounds to me as if we are on our way to the NFC Championship!
At least that is what people will have you believe. You cannot read a single thing about this game without reading the phrase “the road to the Super Bowl goes through [New York/New Jersey/Giants Stadium/The Meadowlands].” One of these days, someone will have to explain this phrase to me. The phrase is stated as an absolute fact every year when any team clinches the #1 seed, despite being misleading and inaccurate.
If the Giants win their first playoff game, then sure, the road to the Super Bowl goes through Giants Stadium. But if they lose, I believe the NFC Championship game will be held in another stadium. Thus, if the team that advances to the Super Bowl is not the team that knocked the Giants out, their road never passed through Giants Stadium.
Let’s take a look at the game that made the road to the Super Bowl possibly (but not necessarily) go through Giants Stadium.
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For all of ESPN’s hype over the airing of “The Greatest Game Ever Played,” last Saturday night, I think they may have jumped the gun. Sunday night’s game between the Giants and Panthers had everything you could want in a football game (Here’s another phrase I never understood. I could want the game to end with me winning a million dollars. I guess people who come up with phrases are not as greedy as me.) The game even ended with a dramatic overtime touchdown, reminiscent of the 1958 Championship game, except this time, the good guys won.
Giants RB Derrick Ward has been nominated for the Week 16 FedEx 
Ground Award.
In order to vote for Derrick head over to NFL.com/FedEx
Fans can vote up until 11 a.m. on Friday morning. $1000 will be donated to the Safe Kids Coalition of New York if Ward wins.
Ward is 52 yards short of 1,000 yards. If he reaches the century mark, the Giants will be only the fourth team ever to have two running backs with 1,000 or more yards.
Well deserved for Ward to say the least. As an FYI his competition is Cedric Benson and LeRon Mc Clain. Good luck Derrick.
Mike Garafolo of the Star Ledger provides some injury updates.
Today the Giants did not have a full practice but rather a job thorugh. RB Brandon Jacobs (knee) was cleared to participate but would not have been in a full practice.
TE Kevin Boss (ankle), DT Barry Cofield (knee) and LB Gerris Wilkinson (knee) did not participate.
CB Aaron Ross (concussion) was hospitalized on Sunday night and was not at practice.
At 11-2 it was fairly predictable the Giants would be in a position to rest injured players. With a first round bye and home field throughout their playoff run locked up the Giants cannot gain or lose any ground this week. The old mantra seemed to be rest up and avoid injuries, but it is a mantra that seems to be dying out. The new mantra is, play your best football down the stretch and compete for every win no matter what.
The Steelers did it as a wild card, as did the Ravens, and the Giants. Their December records were stellar and they steamrolled into the playoffs. And then there is this from Coach Coughlin himself;
“I disagree with the idea that you have nothing to gain. There is a lot to be gained. If you believe as we do that you have to be playing your best football at this time of year you certainly do have some things to build on, particularly when you’re not going to play for a couple of weeks. I’m taking all that into consideration. ”
Coach Coughlin also mentioned being smart and taking the medical staffs reports into consideration, but the idea seems to be if your healthy you play. Here are the players Giants fans are most concerned about.
Brandon Jacobs- His ability to wear down a defense is invaluable, but with an ailing knee he is not 100%. If anyone does not go this Sunday in Minnesota I would put my money on him. Getting Fire, or Ahmad Bradshaw some carries wouldn’t hurt as well.
Aaron Ross – Aaron spent the night in a hospital with a concussion and he would probably be held out of this game no matter what was on the line.
Fred Robbins- He has played all year with two broken hands and a bum shoulder. He and Cofield are the key to clogging up the middle, mainly because they are the starting tackles and also because they are monsters. I think he is second on the list of guys who may be inactive behind Jacobs.
Justin Tuck – The Giants best defensive lineman was clearly sapped of energy due to the flu, but by Sunday he should be fine. I expect him to play.
Domenick Hixon- The new X receiver is dealing with a bad ankle, but without him the Giants become very thin at wideout, so I would expect him to go. The bigger question may be will the Giants use him in the return game where they look quite pedestrian.
Kareem Mackenzie – He has suffered some dings the past few weeks but I expect he too will be pushed to play.
If any Giant is held out of Sunday’s game he will essentially be off for three weeks. That’s an eternity in the NFL and with the exception of Brandon Jacobs I don’t see the benefit. Risking injury is part of the game, and momentum is far more important. Yes, the Giants wanted to prove they could play with the Patslast year, but technically that game was also meaningless. Plaxico Burress and several others were dinged going into that game, but they all played. The result was injuries to Sean O’hara, Sam Madison and Kavika Mitchell. Bottom line, you can’t protect everyone and you never know who is gonna go down. Play em all, except Brandon, and maybe Robbins and…. well it’s a nice problem to have.
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