Category Archives: Opinion
The New Meadowlands Stadium (NMS to many, now) had a strange feel to it last night. The Giants did little to inspire their decreasing legions with their play. Steeler fans seemed to be everywhere on a night that provided less of what people came to see rather than more of it.
Either the Steelers are very good, or the Giants are very bad. Or maybe it’s the other way around. Who can tell?
Tagged New York Giants Blogs |
It is difficult to administer a solid grade for Jerry Reese’s 2010 personnel moves because there are less qualitative results to look at and hopefully Reese isn’t finished making those moves. What I will look at is how I think the players project on the team, how much sense the pick seems to make, and what I think Reese passed on.
1) Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida – Just playing GM in my head, I can think of a number of different ways I would have played this pick. Reese could have gone BPA and taken Derrick Morgan, giving the team a great backup LE, who offers the same kind of element as Big Mike Strahan, including run stopping ability and leadership. He could have gone need and reached a little bit for Sean Weatherspoon to play MLB. Spoon is a projected 10-year starter and another player that offers strong leadership and even a little swagger, a la Antonio Pierce. Instead Reese drafted a third RE, and a very raw one at that, a raw one with high bust potential. Go figure. How good does that aces front look if Tuck and Kiwi slide to the middle and Morgan and Osi are on the outside? I’m just saying… I certainly could be wrong and if this was a team with no needs I would be much more okay with this pick, but as of right now, I hate it: F
2) Linval Joseph, DT, East Carolina – I like this pick, but why not Taylor Mays, the safety that was projected to go top 5 last draft season? If you ask me what unit I think needs the most help from last season, it’s unquestionably the safeties, especially considering Phillip’s long-term outlook. Mays, so far has proven his biggest fault is that he actually listens to his coaches. Unfortunately that was Pete Carroll at USC last season. Under The Great Mike Singletary Mays appears to be blossoming… so far. At any rate Joseph is a solid pick. He won’t contribute this season as DTs usually are quiet year one, but he’ll make a name for himself in no time and keep the middle solid: B
3) Chad Jones, Safety, LSU – Another solid pick with a bright future until the car accident (which we still know little about). This pick actually addresses a need but why are the Giants going out of their way to pass on every MLB who projects to be successful in a 4-3?: A-
4) Phillip Dillard, LB, Nebraska – What can I say? Dillard is a classic 3-4 Mike LB. I just don’t see how he fits Fewell’s cover-2 scheme. (Yes Fewell will run a cover 2, no matter how many wrinkles he puts in there.) I don’t dislike Dillard, but this was a useless pick. If Reese already has Bulluck in his crosshairs at this point, why not draft another safety or a RB or a kick returner? Maybe Dillard will be a good special teamer: F
5) Mitch Petrus, G, Arkansas – One of Reese’s outstanding value picks. He’s strong. He’s big. And he’s got attitude. He’ll fit right in around here: A
6) Adrian Tracy, LB, William & Mary – Unless the Giants plan on switching to a 3-4 this could be a useless pick. I just don’t see him being very good at the Sam. He’s pretty athletic for a big guy so maybe with some development. Or he’s a guy they could bring in when they switch to 3-4 fronts. I do like Tracy’s size and production: C+
7) Matt Dodge, P, East Carolina – I wish the Giants would have picked up a punter a couple years ago to train under Feagles. They kind of dropped the ball on that one because now they’re going from twenty years of experience at punter to a rookie. Matt Dodge has a very strong leg, but punting is more of a finesse undertaking. If the Giants are patient Dodge will pay off big time: B
Off-season – Reese missed the boat on Karlos Dansby, the real off-season prize for the Giants but he brought in Rolle, a good but not elite FS. Unfortunately, Rolle is getting paid like an elite FS. Let’s hope he rises to the occasion. I love the Keith Bulluck signing, though it doesn’t make up, in the long term, for missing out on Weatherspoon and Dansby. With Chad Jones having been injured, the Giants still may need to bring in a SS to play behind Grant, who is an 11year vet: B
2010: Season GPA: 2.4
2009 Season GPA: 2.6
2008 Season GPA: 2.6
2007 Season GPA: 2.6
*Next Thursday I will give a cumulative GPA as well as offer my analysis of Jerry Reese as a GM overall.
I’m just saying…
…are the Jets the new Washington? Has Mike Tannenbaum ever had a nap? Does he sleep at night? Does this guy have to look into every FA and trade possibility out there? I mean Terell Owens? Really dude? I admire his vigilance but we’ve already seen what the gets you. Even Washington has finally toned down their act.
…I don’t know if people really know how special of a player Keith Bulluck is. You know that guy that just always seems to be around the ball? Always seems to come up with a big play? That was Bulluck in Tennessee. I don’t know that he’ll be the player he was for the Titans, but I’m pretty sure that he’ll replace everything the Giants lost in AP and still bring more athleticism and coverage skills. The Giants may be going to the Super Bowl this season guys.
…Is the new GFB site beautiful or is it beautiful?
J. Williams is a fan and a longtime reader of GFB. His commentary is strictly his own and is not necessarily the opinion of SNY or the GFB staff.
Tagged Derrick Morgan, New York Giants, Opinion |
After reading several hundred Giants season previews over the past few months, I decided to pass on doing one of my own (for now). Some of these articles and lists are so in-depth and layered in detail, one has to wonder about the amount of free time Americans have on their hands these days. They’re like doctoral dissertations or corporate white papers….
Really, people, it’s football. Eleven guys on one side have to get past the eleven on the other side. It still basically comes down to beating the guy in front of you. Winning your battle.
Instead of a preview, I’ll give you several key things I’ll be focusing on at training camp this month.
The running game. The Giants are a run-first team that finished the season with just one healthy running back (FA pickup Gartrell Johnson). Brandon Jacobs (knee) MUST be healthy to spearhead this group. Ahmad Bradshaw 
(feet) also must return to form as the change-up back. unless Andre Brown turns into something special. A Giant team that cannot successfully run the ball at will is destined to be watching the playoffs at home come January.
The safeties. The fakirs (CC Brown, Aaron Rouse) are gone and some real football players (Deon Grant, Antrel Rolle) have been brought in. They have a healthy Michael Johnson returning and if Kenny Phillips can make it back, this group will be a strength instead of a weakness. What a huge difference this season will be from last. After last year’s debacle, I still have to see this group succeed before I’m comfortable again…I’m especially looking forward to seeing the Perry Fewell “ballhawking” philosophy in action.
Special teams. I do not envy Tom Quinn, the Giants’ ST coach. He lost his two of his three most valuable players (P Jeff Feagles and KR Domenik Hixon. LS Zak DeOssie is the other.) and does not have the experienced bodies to backfill those spots with. Can rookie punter Matt Dodge handle both the punting and the holding duties? Plus, who will be the team’s primary kick and punt returners?
Red zone offense. I know, its all DC Kevin Gilbride‘s fault. He’s the reason they fail in the “green zone” (as Tom Coughlin calls it). Sure, they could use a little creativity down low, but as I mentioned earlier, execution is important, too. The old Packers used to run the same play every time they got inside the 5: Jim Taylor around end. Everyone knew it was coming, yet no one could stop it. The Giants, if they truly are a running juggernaut, should be able to impose their will in this fashion. I’ll be curious to see what they have been planning. Will the Killer B’s (Kevin Boss, Ramses Barden and Travis Bekum) finally get turned loose?
The pass rush. The Giants stacked up on defensive lineman during the off-season. Last year, Jay Alford missed the season with a knee injury. DE Osi Umenyiora was coming off knee surgery. Justin Tuck played with one arm and Chris Canty, Rocky Bernard and Barry Cofield were also not 100%. All of those players are focused and healthy coming into camp (insert Osi comment here). That alone should make this group 1000% more effective. New D-Line coach Robert Nunn also promises to play everyone, but is not averse to playing the hot hand. I want to see how much this year’s top draft picks - Jason Pierre Paul and Linval Joseph – are going to add to this group. I’m also looking forward to seeing OLB Clint Sintim unleashed.
Tagged Giants Training Camp, New York Giants, New York Giants Blogs |
Hixon Was The Giants’ Everyman and Will Be Hard To Replace
Not much has been settled in the way of special teams this summer, meaning the Giants have some key decisions to make – and soon.
The loss of WR/KR Domenik Hixon has sent a rippling effect through the Giants’ roster. Hixon was an extremely important part of the Giants’ specials.
Special teams’ coach Tom Quinn told us during mini-camp that Hixon actually had four jobs on the special teams…
“…(Hixon) was a return specialist but he also is a very good cover guy on kickoff and punt. So you really have to replace four starting positions: punt, punt return, kickoff, kickoff return….”
The most difficult of the four tasks is punt returner. The job takes a specific skill set of guts, concentration and talent. Players fitting that description are not easy to find.
Quinn seemed to believe he had some viable candidates on the roster. Apparently, Tom Coughlin and Jerry Reese do not have such faith. They are focusing more on external solutions, it seems.
The dalliance with former Bengal and Titan KR Chris Davis this week has done little to calm the fears of the the team and the fans. Davis was signed but then failed the Giants’ physical, prompting his release.
Quinn had this to say to reporters on June 18th…..
“We have a lot of talented guys. We always put an early emphasis in the OTAs on guys catching punts. We’ll have about eight offensive guys, eight defensive guys and work them all out.”
“Aaron (Ross) has some return experience from college. He’ always wanted to do it and he’s been bugging us to do it and this might be his opportunity. Mario’s (Manningham) another guy. You have Sinorice (Moss), you have Chad Jones…”
“Last year, we had four guys return punts for us, Ahmad Bradshaw, Corey Webster..we had three guys in one game. You have to be prepared to have some depth.”
“(Tim Brown) another guy that you’ll look to. We’ll see if he holds up size-wise. He’s got real good quickness and elusiveness.”
Quinn also pointed out that health and other responsibilities may rule out some players, but a lot has changed since that day.
We now know the team is not high on any of these players returning punts, and Jones is gone indefinitely, if not for good.
Manningham appears to be a good kickoff returner, but he’s not the right body-type for punts. Moss is still an enigma. No one knows what he can do because he’s never stayed healthy.
Bradshaw and Webster are not real options at this point. Bradshaw is still ambling around. He’s got to heal completely and show he’s capable of playing 100% again before any more is asked of him.
Webster is too valuable to risk as a returner, regardless of Quinn’s statement that the best player will get the job, even if they are a starter at another position.
Brown is the smallest player in camp. He can run and make people miss, but ball security is the primary function of the punt returner. Can he take a hit at this level and not cough up the ball…?
That leaves Ross. He is currently the nickel back on the Giants’ defense. He has the attributes to do the job, but his health is always an issue and the team may not want to overtax him.
So, it appears the search will continue.
Tagged Domenik Hixon, New York Giants, New York Giants Blogs, New York Giants News |
Consider this another reminder of just how important it will be for the 2010 Giants to run the ball effectively.
By now you know the story: Two years ago, when the Giants finished 12-4, they led the league in rushing. Last year, when they finished 8-8, the Giants finished 17th in the league, rushing for 681 less yards than they did the previous year.
Running backs’ coach Jerald Ingram talked to Giants.com about the ground game. Here are the highlights:
On improving the running game:
“What we need to do is come back with great attitude, great force, [and] great leadership on the field. We want to set the tone for what we do out there through the run game, really do a better job of taking care of the whole team. We had a little bit of a setback last year. We’re going to try to do a better job of staying focused. Sometimes when you go through adversity you have a better look at how to handle things the second time around. I think we all learned something last year.”
On the importance of establishing the run:
“That’s what we have been [doing] ever since we have been here - how tough and physical we are in the run game, how good we’ve been in the run game. We set the tone from that standpoint. We try to keep the ball in our hands. That is our signature that we want to get back to, and I think we can get back to that.”
On the competition for playing time:
“We have a good group of guys. We’re going to put people in the right positions. Competition is a great thing to have. The best place to learn is on the field. We’ve got some good people to do some different things with.”
Tagged Ahmad Bradshaw, Brandon Jacobs, Giants News, New York Giants |
18 game Schedule Must Come With Certain Concessions
The NFL is a business, as we all know, and if they weren’t looking towards the future, they’d be considered a poorly managed one.
This week’s buzz of moving to an 18-game schedule has the talking heads chattering away, with many of them adamantly against it.
The idea makes sense because four preseason games are no longer required. Something needs to be done, and this proposal is the closest thing to the right thing to do…
I, personally, am for it but only under these conditions…..
Since the NFL, the owners, the advertisers, the sportsbooks, the casinos and the media will garner more revenue through an expanded season:
Rosters must be expanded to at least 60 players. More games, more injuries. In that case you need to have more players in the fold.
The NFL and the NFLPA must agree to a more equitable yearly funding process for retired players in need. It obviously needs to be increased and formalized.
There should be a surtax on revenue from all legalized gambling on NFL Football that will be used for youth football, scholarships and retired players in need.
Do those things for me and I’ll sign off on your 18-game season….
Tagged 2010 NFL Schedule, New York Giants, NFL |
Yep, I pulled out the stereotypical Soccer isn’t a contact sport analogy cause I am lazy and on a deadline 
for something far more important, by far more important I mean slighlty more important with far better pay, and by far better pay I mean actual pay. OK enough of the “by this I mean that” nonsense, lets get to my lame point.
Today S LeRon Landry was fined 5k for his late hit on RB Brandon Jacobs. Ummmm why? Isn’t the penalty for the hit the 15 yards his team lost. CB Corey Webster was fined 5k for trading blows with WR Santana Moss. This makes sense, football isn’t boxing and players should be fined for fighting, but a late hit surely isn’t the same thing? Is it?
Former pro bowl safety Jon Lynch had this exchange with Chris Myers on the radio a couple days ago:
Myers: Jon, do you understand the commissioners reasons for protecting quarterbacks the way he does?
Lynch: Umm actually no Chris, it’s getting to the point where guys don’t know how or even when to even hit someone.
Look I’m not saying what Landry did was kosher (it was far from how a Jewish mench would conduct themselves, and also has nothing to do with food) but isn’t there the chance he made an error in judgement. Yes Jacobs steamrolled him last year, and I suppose the league office could have taken spite into account, but the point is his team was penalized, isn’t that enough? It always reminds me of Mathias Kiwanuka‘s phantom tackle on Vince Young a couple years ago. Kiwi thought he had Young in his grasp so he let him go, unfortunately the referees didn’t see it that way and Young went on to pick up a key first down in a deflating comeback. My unique, eye opening, original point is this, let em play, it’s football not soccer.
Here’s the thing folks. The whole of this season’s Giants is better than the sum of last year’s parts.
How many fans, halfway through last season, believed that the Giants were Super Bowl material, let alone good enough to beat a team that nobody could for 17 straight weeks?
The Giants have lost their star receiver. That loss alone magnifies the last two losses, but this Giants team has outperformed last year’s team on paper and on the field. I believe that while the losses of Michael Strahan and Plaxico Burress are great, they’re not insurmountable. The Giants have already been able to make up for the loss of Strahan, who was thought by many to be the singular MVP of last season. They can make up for the loss of Plaxico Burress.
Burress is a fine receiver and his mere presence effects an opponent’s entire defensive scheme, however it is the job of Kevin Gilbride, the Giants offensive coordinator, to adjust to that loss. Gilbride was able to take a lesser team last season through the gauntlet of the playoffs, into the juggernaut of a Patriots defense and figured out a way to win.
There is no doubt the Giants have a formidable challenge ahead of them, but the chicken littles of the world need to put things in perspective. This is a better Giants team than the one that did the unthinkable last season, lets give them the benefit of the doubt. These Giants, as a whole, are better than the sum of their parts.
Alright alright, we get it, “the season starts now.” I just finished reading this very quote in 4 different newspapers, and on 3 major online sporting websites. Boomer Esiason was kind enough to call the Giants “paper tigers,” which is odd, because he also predicted the Cowboys would win the East. If anyone is a paper tiger, whatever that means, wouldn’t it be the boys?
Boomer is right to a degree. The Giants have played 6 teams with a combined 12-27 record. Pittsburgh, on the other hand, has played 6 teams with a 13-24 record, so I guess both teams are dangerous animals on paper. A side note, the NFL has been nice enough to let the other 6 games count. The terms, “trap game” and “any given Sunday” are used for a reason. Just ask the Cowboys who were lambasted by the 2-4 Rams. (Sorry, but taking shots at Jerry Jones comes as natural to me as fearing sharks in my parents’ pool. What, It could happen?)
Eric Wright, Brandon McDonald, Sean Jones and Brodney Pool you have been fairly warned. Corey Williams, your own teammate, does not like you, in fact he may loathe you. On Tuesday Williams may have inadvertently put a contract out on their heads when he said this:
“Once you go to putting that wood on him, go to really hitting him, not letting him run wild like he wants to do, he’s a totally different running back. He’ll start tiptoeing, shutting it down. (If our defense can) come out and hit (Jacobs) in the mouth from the jump, he tends to slow down and do some tiptoeing.”
Brandon Jacobs is a Ginormous man (A Scientific term referring to a man who is 6’4” 264 pounds) who feasts on corners and safeties for a living, or maybe just for fun, or maybe just because he gets hungry out there. You would think Corey Williams of all people would remember this. After all, It was Williams who witnessed first hand one of Jacobs most famous sit down dinners. On the first play from scrimmage in the NFC championship game, Jacobs broke right, whipped out his beloved Kraft ranch dressing, drizzled some on Charles Woodson, and then devoured him whole. In case you didn’t see it, think of Jon Voigt getting swallowed in Anaconda, and if you didn’t see that, well then, you’re just not trying are you? In the Superbowl, Jacobs thought better of chomping on safety Brandon Merriweather, and instead flicked him five feet in the air with his pinkie finger. On opening night of 08, Jacobs took out a bottle of Franks Red Hot, poured it on Leron Landry, and finished him off with some fava beans and a nice Chianti. Imagine playing football and suddenly you realize a Giant amongst men is pouring hot sauce on you, that has to be disturbing. Perhaps when Williams refers to “tip toeing” or “shutting it down,” he means hitting a guy so bone – crunchingly hard that an entire stadium of 60,000 fans reacts with a synchronized “oooooooooohhhhhh my god, that guy may be dead.”
Defensive tackles are rarely in the flat, one on one with a running back, but you can be sure that between Jones, Wright, Pool and McDonald (maybe Adams as well) one of them will have to answer for Williams’s comments. My advice, go low, or you will end up becoming a permanent part of Cleveland Browns stadium.
We need to come up with a new stat for every time Jacobs makes a defensive player look as though he is a new born, being tossed in the air by daddy. Wait a minute, didn’t Micheal Jackson toss his baby before dangling him out a window…yep that seems equivalent, the “blanket” it is. My guess is Williams’s comments leads to at least 2 “blankets. (I am taking suggestions if anyone has something better)”
The Browns offense has been treated like a green – horn aboard the deck of the Cornelia Marie, why? What happened to the Browns offense of 07′? They were 8th in total yards from scrimmage. Well, here is one answer, the schedule has been rough. They have faced the Cowboys, Steelers, Ravens and Bengals. Alright the latter is not so rough, but Baltimore boast the NFL’s number one rated defense and the Steelers clock in at number 2. This week the Giants bring the third rated defense to town.
Another reason is personnel. Without, newly acquired Donte Stallworth (back this week), teams are doubling Braylon Edwards, who seems to have dropped more passes then he has caught. Just when the Browns get a weapon back, another goes down. Kellen Winslow has been in the hospital for 2 straight nights with an undisclosed illness and is in danger of missing this weeks game.
This week we will get an upclose look at the strange phenomenon that is ex Patriot coaches who appear to be storing fat for the winter. Charlie Weis definitely has the upper hand. He keeps his strange storage unit right above his groin, but slightly below his stomach. No doubt, Weis learnt his fat storing strategey from his mentor Bill Parcells who also rocks the stuffed mango’s in the pants look. Romeo Crennel goes with the more classic all over look. Although he seems to store much of his weight in his face, where it appears as if he has wedged two Mcgriddles in both his cheeks. It is also worth noting that Charlie Manuel seems to be lobbying for a job on the Pats coaching staff. Manuel goes with the most classic look, pregnancy, or keg in the stomach. Alright back to actual football.
Perhaps Williams was just trying to fire up his teammates, but I am guessing they wish he hadn’t, because the guy he did fire up…well we went over this…he’s insanely large. While the Browns have revamped their passing defense, allowing only 187 yards per game, their run defense is still a weakness, despite adding Joba the hut to nose tackle. Joba also goes by Big Baby or Sean Rogers. If Brandon doesn’t run well “that kid Bradshaw,” as Williams refers to him, will. Does anyone realize just how fresh Plaxico Burress should be. Due to a bye week, and his suspension, he has been off for nearly three weeks. I expect him to welcome himself back with a monster day, tip toeing all over Cleavland’s secondary. Giants 24 Browns 17
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