Hixon Thriving In Returner Role

It was no mystery this summer that the Giants were hoping that one of their young receivers would elevate their game and crack the starting lineup.  With Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks both producing, the Giants were able to re-slot Domenik Hixon back into the role of primary kick and punt returner.

Hixon is clearly the best man for the job and the Giants are a better team when Hixon is returning kickoffs and punts.  Last week, Hixon racked up 281 yards on 7 kick returns and two punt returns.  His 32.9 average on kick returns is second in the NFL behind Chicago’s explosive rookie, Johnny Knox.

Sackless in Secaucus

Even after the pasting the Giants took last week in the Big Easy, the defense remains the top ranked in the league. But us Giants affectionados know they can play much better going forward.

The Giants’ heralded trio of DEs – Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora and Mathias Kiwanuka have a combined total of nine sacks in the first six games.  I don’t need to tell you that those numbers are way below expectations thus far.

Opponents have done a good job neutralizing the Giants’ standard pass rush, but after last Sunday the Giants are looking to change a few things around.

This week, DC Bill Sheridan told reporters on Friday that he anticipates that teams will continue to max protect against them, which will open up some blitzing opportunities.  So far the Giants have shied away from blitzes, but Sheridan is putting all options on the table in order to optimize the performance of his talented defense.

Reporter: You said definitively you kind of wanted to ramp up the blitz. Just curious, then why in the past few games why did you keep it at the level – just because everything was working and you didn’t need to blitz more? Or what is the reason for kind of a change now?

Sheridan: Really, the answer is yes, because we were handling the other people. So we pressured in the previous games but we were up. Our base calls were successful. When you think of the last three games I thought we played well on defense. Things were going well. And we pressured intermittently and we pressured on third down, which everybody does. But our base defense on first and second down was more than adequate — since the Dallas game we had played well. So to answer you question, yes. Things were going well; we were playing good defense. But obviously they found a way to attack us and like I say, to throw the ball on us on every single down. And so we don’t want to let that happen and we will be prepared as we go forward.

A source close to the Giants reports that the Giants have decided the price for Braylon Edwards is too high and they will not be making a trade for him. The source also said the talks for Anquan Boldin are dead as well. The Giants will look for a receiver in the draft instead.

The Browns, according to sources, want at least a first- and a third-round pick for Edwards and possibly Mathias Kiwanuka The Giants haven’t offered anything more than the second- and fifth-round picks they got in the Jeremy Shockey trade. The Giants seemed unwilling to trade Kiwanuka when that report originally surfaced.

The Arizona Cardinals say they have yet to receive an offer for Anquan Boldin from anyone.

The Giants could be looking at several wide receivers that may be available to them at the draft. Among them are Rutgers’ Kenny Britt, North Carolina’s Hakeem Nicks, Maryland’s Darrius Heyward-Bey, and Ohio State’s Brian Robiskie.

Ralph Vacchiano appeared on SNY’s Daily News Live this afternoon and reminds folks that shortly before the 2004 draft many folks were saying that the deal between the Giants and the Chargers for Eli Manning was dead as well.

Vacchiano sees Hakeem Nicks as a likely pick for the Giants in the draft.

I’m not certain this is etched in stone. We have seen this kind of subterfuge and misinformation strategically placed before. We will know soon enough.

Ralph Vacchiano on his blog for the New York Daily News reports that it looks less and less likely that Anquan Boldin or Chad Johnson will be moved.

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said yesterday that they’re not trading Ocho Cinco.

“I don’t know why people continue with the speculation of moving Chad,” Lewis said. “Many times we’ve reiterated … I don’t know if we’re keeping count on this … Chad’s not getting moved.”

Cardinals GM Rod Graves said they have received no offers for Boldin since they announced they were willing to listen.

“Quite a few teams have called but we have no offers. I don’t know if that’s any indication of the way the rest of the league sees Anquan, I just think that there is time between now and draft day. Many teams have been finishing up the draft boards.”

Gil Brandt, Vacchiano’s Sirius NFL Radio co-host, said in an online chat today that there is a “100 percent” chance that Braylon Edwards will be dealt by draft day.

Tom Rock at Newsday relays an interview with Arizona Cardinals LB Karlos Dansby, who is due to become a free agent later this month. He spoke with John Riggins and Adam Schein on The Sirius Blitz today and said the following:

Adam Schein: “Would you like the opportunity to play in a big market and specifically with the Giants? I’ve heard that the Giants have interest in you. What’s your reaction to that? Would that be a good fit?”

Karlos Dansby: “Oh, that’s a-whole-nother animal, man. Playing in New York? Who wouldn’t want to play in New York? That’s just like playing for the Dallas Cowboys, you know what I’m saying? It’s a big market. You’re going to get an opportunity to be prime time. It’s a huge market. I wouldn’t mind playing in a huge market. I wouldn’t mind at all. It’s a tough situation to be in for me. Like I said, I want to make sure I’m comfortable, my family is comfortable, and everybody’s happy with the situation. Like I said, Arizona is up first. They gave me the first opportunity so they are the first ones I’m going to take a look at.”

Dansby signed a $8mm deal with the Cardinlas last April, which made him one of the top five highest-paid linebackers in the NFL.

Hat tip to Ryan M for bringing this to our attention.

After losing to the Giants on Sunday by a score of 37-29, the Arizona Cardinals filed a complaint with the league. The Cardinals were upset that Brandon Jacobs, who was listed as probable all week, ended up being inactive on game day. Being listed as probable on Saturday night indicates that a player is virtually certain to play, so the Cardinals asked the NFL to look into the matter. Just like on Sunday, the Cardinals continue to try and pick fights after the play is over.

Although my good friend Logic suggests that the Giants would have won by even more if they had their best offensive player, the Cardinals took this as an opportunity to protest. Do they somehow think they would have had a better chance of winning if Jacobs had played? Did opposing pitchers file a complaint with the league when Babe Ruth took the day off? No, they said “good thing I don’t have to face Babe Ruth today.” Maybe the reason the Cards could muster up just 23 rushing yards was because they thought Lawrence Taylor and Harry Carson were going to be lining up on defense.

Maybe this explains why I lost a game of HORSE to an eleven year old girl. I thought I was going to be playing Willis Reed, so I psyched myself up for what was sure to be a timeless battle. When I saw that I would be playing against a small child, my body suffered an unexpected letdown, and I lost by a score of HORS-0. We call this the “Horso” complex, and it is my expert opinion that this is what the Cardinals are suffering from.

Does this make the Arizona Cardinals organization the “Bonehead(s) of the Week”? Yes it does.

Larry Fitzgerald has agreed to a four-year, $40 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals, according to his personal website.

Fitzgerald’s site says that he’ll get $30 million guaranteed, and $33 million over the next three years, and includes a no-trade clause.

His original deal had him receiving $14 million in salary in 2008 and more than $17 million in salary in 2009 based on eight-figure escalators that kicked in because of performance the last four years.