Monthly Archives: January 2010
Steve Smith may have been slighted in the Pro Bowl voting, but he will be in uniform for the NFC a week from Sunday in Miami.
Smith will take the spot of Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald who was forced to back out of the game due to injury.
Although it is not official, offensive lineman David Diehl and Chris Snee will most likely join Smith since both Minnesota and New Orleans have two lineman each on the NFC roster.
The NFC Champion will not send any of their players since the game is being played the week before the Super Bowl this season
Tagged 2010 Pro Bowl, Steve Smith |
Jeremy Shockey was drafted with the 14th pick of the 2002 NFL draft with enormous expectations. Fans fell in love with his athletic and rugged style of play, reminiscent of Mark Bavaro. In his first year, Shockey did not disappoint, catching 74 passes for 894 yards and two touchdowns, and was named the Pepsi Rookie of the Year.
With one of the best rookie seasons for a tight end, Shockey was poised to become one of the all time great Giants. The sky was the limit for the talented young tight end, and he won fans over with his smash mouth style of play, even if he did have the occasional lapse in judgment.
But eight seasons into his pro career, Shockey has never played a full season, nor has he ever topped the reception or yardage totals from his rookie season.
After earning a Super Bowl ring while on the injured reserve, Shockey seemingly forced the Giants’ hand, and was traded to the New Orleans Saints for two draft picks (used on Clint Sintim and Rhett Bomar). Shockey claimed he was unhappy that the team made him sit in a press box during the Super Bowl while lower profile players on the IR watched the game from the sideline.
But his unhappiness with the Giants went deeper than his treatment during the Super Bowl. Throughout his Giants career, when things were not going well statistically for him, fans often heard rumblings that Shockey was unhappy with his role in the offense. As Keyshawn Johnson would put it, Shockey wanted the Giants to ‘give him the damn ball.’
According to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News, “Shockey hasn’t commented publicly on the subject, though he has told many people that he is frustrated with his role in the offense.”
Statistically speaking, Shockey has been involved in the Saints’ offense far less than he was during his unhappy years in the Giants’ offense.
After two years and 25 games played in New Orleans, Jeremy Shockey’s totals are:
(more…)
Although most of the Gmen may be in Florida already (for reasons various and probably most likely having to do with golf), two of them will be joining fellow offensive lineman for a different reason.
Like the New York Jets, the Giants will also be sending three of their five starting offensive linemen to Miami to play in the pro bowl. Both LT David Diehl and RG Chris will join their center Shaun O’Hara in representing the New York Giants.
Technically, its not official writes Ralph Vacchiano of the NY Daily News. Both Diehl and Snee are the first alternates at their respective positions, and both the Vikings and Saints have a guard and tackle playing in this weekends NFC championship game.
Therefore, it is almost certain the two big guys will be down in Miami playing in the fakest game the weekend before the most real.
Note: WR Steve Smith has to be rooting for Minnesota this weekend because if they were to win, he could be looking at his own first career Pro Bowl selection. WR Sidney Rice would have to take his name off the roster if they were to be Super Bowl bound.
Other Giants who have a shot at getting on the roster:
KR: Domenik Hixon: 3rd alternate
DE: Justin Tuck: 3rd alternate
QB: Eli Manning: 4th alternate
You gotta love the Jets, those improbable underdogs with a rookie coach and quarterback.
Had they not made this Super Bowl run, the New York media would be turning all their guns on the shattered Giants and what they need to do get back into the elite class of the NFL.
Rex Ryan, Mark Sanchez and the publicly vocal nature of the Jets’ new regime have captured the imagination and attention of the city, virtually pushing the Giants off the New York football landscape.
Whew! Thank you, Jets.
Giant fans could not bear to relive another minute of this horrific season. Now, they can go about their business looking forward to 2010.
About those Jets, though……have you ever seen a team come out of nowhere like this?
The answer? Not for some time. Some will point to the Giants of two years ago and the Ravens’ run last year, but this has a different feel.
The Jets needed a lot of help just to make the playoffs. All of needed to happen happened and voila! there they were.
Since then, they have gotten almost every break, but to be fair all the brilliant moves made by GM Mike Tannenbaum (sans the drafting of Vernon Gholston) have surfaced. He’s done a nice job.
But in the NFL that just gets you to into the party.
Yesterday, they needed a Pro Bowl kicker (Nate Kaeding) to miss two FGs under 40-yards. They’re calling it karma.
Ok, I’ll buy it. As long as it keeps us out of the news….
Tagged Giants News, New York Jets |
Tampa 2 Perfect Scheme For Giants’ Anemic Pass Coverage 
In the end, it was all about Perry Fewell and what he wanted to do the next few years. His old boss, Tom Coughln, had reached out and offered him a job. And then waited.
The wait proved to be worth it. Fewell will bring his Tampa 2 defense to the Meadowlands, a scheme tailor-made for this team.
In 2009, the Giants had no semblance of order on defense and were absolutely pitiful in pass coverage. With the Tampa 2, everyone will know their role – back and forth – and their will be no finger-pointing because their will be fewer big plays. In a pass-friendly league, this system has proved to be the way to go.
Tom Coughlin has always been a big supporter of Fewell, who began his NFL coaching career under Coughlin in Jacksonville in 1998.
This hire is not a reach. Fewell is not only a disciple of Coughlin’s but of Dick Jauron and Lovie Smith as well. In the early 90′s, Fewell was defensive assistant at Army. The head coach was Bob Sutton.
Fewell’s pedigree as a coach is impeccable. He also coached at Vanderbilt under such legends as Rod Dowhower and Woody Widenhofer, the latter who worked for the masterful Bud Carson in Pittsburgh during the Steel Curtain years and who groomed Tony Dungy as a coordinator.
I’m looking forward to seeing Fewell implement his plan and the Giants soaring back to the top of the standings.
For you detractors, hold your tongues. Don’t waste your time trying to fit the current pieces into the Tampa 2 because many of those pieces won’t be around come July.
The Giants – from John Mara to the parking attendants – have vowed radical changes and this is only Step One. There is much more to come. Stay tuned.
Gilbride to Oakland Still a Possibility
Now that we have our defensive coordinator in place, the focus turns to the offense. Could we be looking for a new coordinator there as well?
We will find out as early as today whether the Oakland Raiders head coaching job becomes vacant. Tom Cable is meeting with Al Davis today to discuss whether Cable returns as head coach in 2010.
The bone of contention seems to be the future of quarterback JaMarcus Russell. Cable sees the same thing the outside world does: the kid doesn’t have what it takes. Davis wants to develop Russell. Cable will lose this battle and a new coach will be given that directive.
That coach may be Kevin Gilbride, the Giants’ offensive coordinator. Gilbride interviewed for the position once before and Al Davis apparently liked what he heard. Good luck to all involved.
Cowher Secretly Covets Giants’ Job
In an interview with Chris Mad Dog Russo yesterday, former NFL great Jerome Bettis leaked that Bill Cowher wants to coach the Giants. The former Steeler coach has a relationship with the Mara-Rooney dynasty and has intimated that he likes the Giants job because they have Eli Manning.
“He’s known them very well and was on the inside track, before the Giants won the Super Bowl, for that job and I think he’s holding out for that opportunity if it presents itself.” said Bettis.
This is all nice to know, but Tom Coughlin isn’t going anywhere. He’s got two years left on his contract which will be honored by all sides.
Tagged Kevin Gilbride, Perry Fewell |
Picks New York Over Chicago 
The only man to interview for the open position of Giants’ defensive coordinator, has accepted the teams’ offer.
Perry Fewell, 47, was most recently the interim head coach of the Buffalo Bills and was weighing offers from both the Giants and the Chicago Bears.
The Giants have apparently won out.
Fewell had been an assistant in Chicago under Lovie Smith and had considered returning as DC. He also has a prior working relationship with Tom Coughlin that goes back to their days with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“I am ecstatic to come to work for the New York Giants. It’s a good football team with good defensive players, and it is a franchise known for defense.” said Fewell.
For those unfamiliar with Fewell, here he is addressing the media in Buffalo in November….
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Tagged Perry Fewell |
Coaching Carousel Continues 
With no news from the front, Perry Fewell is still the only candidate the Giants have formally interviewed for the open DC job.
Callers into the Mike Francesa show have intimated they believe there is dearth of qualified coaches vying for the job because they do not want to work for Tom Coughlin.
Francesa sloughed off such calls as “ridiculous”, but as grass begins to grow around this search, one begins to wonder.
I have been against a clean sweep, which would just be too costly to the Giants since Coughlin still has two years at $5 million per left on his contract. Dismissing him and bringing in a new coach would be cost prohibitive and it wouldn’t necessarily yield better results.
A new name has surfaced as a possible candidate: Kirk Olivadotti (pictured), the Redskins’ linebacker coach. If that name sounds familiar, it is. His father is long-time defensive coach Tom Olivadotti, who coached here under Jim Fassel and John Fox.
This makes sense. He is an NFC East assistant coach from good stock with a history of success. Sounds a bit like Steve Spagnuolo’s resume of a few year’s back…..
Sidebar
Bill Sheridan interviewed with the Dolphins for their LB coach position and Mike Waufle is said to be in the hunt for DL coach in Washington.
Tagged New York Giants News |
Hey all,
I’m back from my two-week hiatus or so from the blog. I was on vacation with the family and to be honest, had to just get away from the thought of Giants football for a little bit. With that said, let’s kickoff the comeback with a post completely unrelated to Big Blue.
Dallas Cowboys: The lone representation of the NFC east in the hunt for the Super Bowls is none other than the Dallas Cowboys (Not so sure the majority would have seen it this way before the season started…)
In a story completely unrelated to actual football action, a Dallas Cowboys fan from Bethlehem Pa was assaulted by Eagles fans on Saturday. She said there was “blood running down her cheek” as the two men wearing Eagles jerseys assaulted her.
The woman still wore the jersey the next day as she watched her team beat the birds.
Philadelphia Eagles: Well there’s pretty much one big question swirling around the Philadelphia Eagles right now. What will they do with Donovan. Today, Andy Reid came out and said that he expects his quarterback to return next season, however coach Reid did not rule out the possibility of him being allowed to leave on his own.
Right now, the Eagles have both a 2nd and 3rd string quarterback who not only have trade value to other teams, but may be suitable starters for the Birds themselves. There’s a somewhat decent possibility that one could see Mcnabb, Kevin Kolb, and Michael Vick starting for three different teams come next season.
Washington Redskins: Mike Shanahan is trying to get one of his old guys over to the ‘Skins from that mile high city. Runningbacks coach Bobby Turner has been offered the position of associate head coach under Shanahan in Washington if he were to choose to leave Denver.
the Broncs are actually in danger of losing another coach because of Shanahan’s arrival to Houston. When Shanny decided to bring his son over from Houston to become the O-coordinator, that freed up a slot for head coach Gary Kubiak to meet with O-line coach Rick Dennison about the open position.
Maybe this how Shanny’s gettin back at ‘em, dismantling their coaching personnel, whether it be directly or indirectly. Nice job Mikey
DC Search At A Standstill
Ralph Vacchiano of the Daily News is reporting that Romeo Crennel’s agent, Joe Linta, is giving the Kansas City Chiefs “first shot” at signing his client. Crennel has ties to the front office there (former Patriots whizbang Scott Pioli is the GM).
It’s the smart move for the 62-year-old Crennel. The Giants are under pressure to turn things around in a hurry and Crennel may no longer have the chops for that. In Kansas City, there is little pressure to win and expectations are much more tempered.
Crennel’s snub leaves the Giants in a bit of a lurch. Various reports have them showing interest in veteran defensive mind Jim Haslett, who has been both a head coach and coordinator in the NFL.
Mike Zimmer has decided to stay on with the Bengals and Dick Jauron’s name has not come up as serious candidate.
Perry Fewell, who interviewed with the Giants last week, has not been offered the Chicago job as expected, so he remains a possible.
The Jets’ Bob Sutton is on a few pundits’ lips again today. As far as we know the Giants have not contacted the Jets regarding Sutton.
Tagged New York Giants News |
Gilbride to Bears Rumors
This is the time of year that all types of rumors begin to circulate. The Chicago Bears fired OC Ron Turner last week and are in search of his replacement. Recently fired Redskins coach Jim Zorn is said to be a hot candidate.
So is Giants’ OC Kevin Gilbride. Only problem here is that Gilbride is under contract until next season, so the Bears would need permission to speak to him.
From what I understand, Gilbride and the Giants are unaware of any such request from the Bears. I think this was just a Chicago reporter thinking out loud. As far as I can see, Gilbride would not leave unless he is given a promotion and a guaranteed multi-year deal.
Steve Smith, Don’t Pack Up Yet….
Steve Smith, a first alternate at WR for this year’s Pro Bowl, has a good chance of being named to the roster after all.
Since the game is being played the week before the Super Bowl this year, players from the the NFC Champion club will not be playing in the game. There is a good chance that Larry Fitzgerald, Miles Austin and Sidney Rice could find themselves in that situation, opening the door for Smith.
NFC Divisional Round Set
After last night’s 51-45 arena-style match between Arizona and Green Bay, the NFC Playoffs promise to test the wits of every Vegas over/under handicapper on the strip.
The Cardinals won a crazy game in overtime, but we saw how the recent pass-coverage rule changes have altered the game dramatically. The officials are becoming stars in this league with all the pass interference and illegal contact calls they are making. It is hurting the game greatly.
Ironically, they missed two flagrant blows to the head on the quarterbacks. Kurt Warner could have been knocked out on a helmet-to-helmet in the 4th quarter that wasn’t called, and Aaron Rodgers was clearly hit in the helmet by Michael Adams on the play that caused the game-winning fumble.
The Cardinals now go to New Orleans for another possible shootout vs the Saints on Saturday afternoon. Dallas will play at Minnesota Sunday at 1pm..
Of the four teams, Dallas has the best defense. If defense still wins championships, I say they would be favored. But after yesterday’s onslaught of offense in Arizona, that mantra may be a thing of the past.
Tagged New York Giants News, NFC Playoffs | ← Older postsNewer posts →
