A 7 point loss?…we’ll take it. This was no ordinary game for the Giants. No the game didn’t count. However, meaningless or not, the Giants found themselves with their back to the wall in the early month of August.
A 24-17 defeat is not exactly disappointing when you consider the circumstances. New York played the entire game with a third string QB. How many times have you witnessed a third string QB even play a series at the pro level, let alone an entire game?
That said, here’s what we learned:
-Rhett Bomar had an oppurtunity to solidify a roster spot and perhaps the nod for immediate backup to Manning. He struggled tonight and despite some good plays, including an impressive deep toss to Steve Smith in tight coverage, Bomar did not play up to par. He seemed to struggle more agasint Pittsburgh’s reserve players and was unable to keep a critical pass to Tim Brown in bounds on the final drive. In a regular season game, his play would be unnaceptable.
I still expect a veteran QB to be brought in after final cuts. The Giants waited on two major free agent signings this year (Keith Bulluck and ShawnAndrews). Just because they didn’t look to make a deal this week, don’t overlook the possiblity of a veteran presence being added.
Even if Jim Sorgi is healthy by Week 1, the fact remains that he is a veteran with very limited “hands on” experience. Bomar is a young player with very little experience period.
If Kerry Collins is cut by the Titans, the Giants will likely be interested.
-Victur Cruz was unable to match his explosive first game. His single catch for 10 yards coupled with his botched punt returns likely didn’t wow the coaching staff. He’s a work in progress but he is probably still in good shape roster wise.
Sinorice Moss was barely used tonight (if at all). Regadless of Moss, Cruz has shown the same amount if not more potential that Moss has in a fifth of the time. The Giants want to see what the young man can do. There is no sense in cutting him, only to see him wind up with another team as a main offensive weapon (see Ryan Grant, Packers 2007).
There are two other threats to Cruz’s claim for the final WR spot. Rutgersalum Tim Brown had a nice catch towards the end of the game. Unfortunately, that catch came on the same throw mentioned earlier by Bomar. The ball sailed too close to the sidelines for anyone to haul in with both feet in. Brown is likely headed to the practice squad. His main selling point this training camp was his return game prowess. He hasn’t been used thus far in a game situation as a return man though. The Giants like him and if he clears waivers they’ll have an oppurtunity to keep him.
Travis Beckum is also an indirect challenge to Cruz’s spot. Beckum is techinically a TE. However, he has promise as a slot receiver. He also showe some nice blocking ability tonight. despite being undersized. If the Giants choose to bring in 3 true TE’s and Beckum, Cruz might run into problems. This isn’t likely though. Scott Chandler isn’t making noise.
-DJ Ware was carted off the field waving and smiling to the fans. In all seriousness, that may have been because he was completely out of it. The Giants confirmed that Ware did in fact suffer anotehr concussion tonight. Ware makes Sinorice Moss looks like a pictures of health. He simply can’t stay off the injury report. For this reason, and the fact that he has now suffered multiple concussions, the Giants may have to part ways with him (or at least place him on IR). Aaron Ross’s big return tonight could help him solidify a return job, which would lessen the need for Ware on the roster. That said, Ross may see time as a starter this year and at the very least he’d be the nickel corner. Andre Brown will have to nail down the other return job for the Giants to feel comfortable.
-The defensive line made a statement on the opening drives. Justin Tuckand Osi Umenyiora had a good night and made plays in the backfield. Chris Canty got decent pressure, as did Rocky Bernard. Bernard helped the Giants escape the first half with a goal line stand when he laid on top of the Steeler ball carrier an extra few seconds to keep the click winding down to 0:00.
Interestingly enough, Jay Alford entered the game after Linval Joseph. It would appear that the Orange, NJ native is now 5th on the depth chart at DT. Jason Pierre-Paul flashed potential tonight, but left the crowd wanting more. He let a sure sack slip through his grasp.
-Kenny Phillips and Keith Bulluck played 1 series during the first half. Bulluck, making his Giants debut was in on a tackle deep in the redzone. Phillips looked good after nearly a year away. The Giants hope that both him and Antrel Rolle become a staple tandem in the backfield for years to come. Both players have enormous potential and both players are from the legendary U.
According to several sources, safety Kenny Phillips will begin training camp on the PUP, or Physically Unable to Perform List.
The Giants are being very cautious with Phillips and his arthritic knee. This is not a surprising move at all.
For those unfamiliar with PUP rules….
“Once a player is designated as such (PUP), they are prohibited from practicing
with the team. They can, however, rehabilitate and participate in team
meetings. If a player begins training camp on the PUP list, they can be
moved to the active roster at any time, even after one practice. A
player is not allowed to be placed on the PUP list if they start
training camp on the active roster.
A player who begins the regular season on the PUP list must sit out
his team’s first six games. After that point, a team has three weeks to
start having the player practice; once the player begins practicing, the
team has another three weeks to put the player on the active roster. If
the player is not activated by that time, or if he does not begin
practicing within that three week window, he must remain on the PUP list
for the remainder of the season.”
Kenny Phillips may have wanted to hit the ground running at camp, but according to Tom Coughlin, he may have to wait…
“He’ll be with the trainers until the trainers are willing to let him
begin to practice,” Tom Coughlin said this morning. “I’m sure when
that happens it will be one a day.”
The Giants signed free-agent veterans Antrel Rolle and Deon Grant, and drafted Chad Jones in the third round, but Kenny Phillips may still be the most important safety on the roster.
The plan is for Phillips to start, which means the third-year pro will have to show in August what he didn’t show in June. After missing the final 14 games last season because of a serious knee injury, Phillips joined the team for last week’s mini-camp, but didn’t make it onto the field. How the 23-year-old Giant recovers from offseason knee surgery is one of the biggest questions heading into the season.
CBS Sports’ senior writer Clark Judge goes so far as to say that Phillips is the most important piece to the defense. He might be right when you consider what happened last year when Phillips was not on the field. The Giants allowed 379 points - with opposing quarterbacks completing 64 percent of their passes for 29 touchdowns and a passer rating of 99.75 - in the 14 games that Phillips missed. In five of the season’s final 11 games, the defense allowed 40 or more points. Phillips had 13 tackles and two interceptions in two games (both wins) last year, but then his season ended due to an arthritic knee condition.
The Giants are counting on a healthy Phillips to help lead their revamped secondary.
“So much has been made of getting Kenny Phillips back at full speed, and I’m very confident – he is also – that he will be back,” head coach Tom Coughlin said at the end of mini-camp last week.
Yes, Phillips is confident. And determined.
“A lot of people counted me out and said my career was over,” Phillips said. “I’m only in the league two years, and they’re trying to get rid of me. There are a lot of people who say I won’t be the same, but I’m going to prove those people wrong.
“When I was back there last year I made a lot of plays, not only in games but in practice, and guys kind of fed off my energy. And it just made us that much better. I think I bring the whole package. I’ll be a leader when I have to be, and I’ll speak when I have to speak. Mostly, though, I’ll just let my playing do the talking for me.”
According to safeties coach David Merritt, it was Kenny Phillips who fired the first shot in the Antrel Rolle signing. Both Phillips and Rolle are U of Miami alumni.
Kenny Phillips came to me, I wanna say probably near the end of January, maybe February and said:
‘Coach, I have a player who would love to come and play in New York.’
‘Who are you talking about?’
He said ‘Antrel Rolle.’
I said, ‘Rolle?’ At that time, of course, Rolle was still property of the Cardinals. I said, ‘Get outta here. He wouldn’t come over to New York. First of all, we can’t even touch him.’
He said, ‘Well coach I’m just letting you know that he said he would like to come to New York.’
Well next thing you know a couple of weeks go by…well, here’s Rolle . He’s on the list and he was without a doubt my number one guy that I wanted.
I still remember the night down at Del Frisco’s, we’re sitting there, he’s on his phone. He had two Blackberrys going at the same time. He was texting Drew (Rosenhaus, his agent) on one and also texting someone else. It was amazing that night they closed the deal.
I said “let’s make this a celebration’ before we went down there and that’s what it was – a celebration.
Connecting the Dots On the Kenny Phillips Situation
To put it lightly, the Giants are handling safety Kenny Phillips’ rehabilitation from microfracture surgery on his knee at a snail’s pace.
The 23-year-old Phillips, who was selected in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Giants, is currently not practicing with the team. He watches the action from the sidelines in-between his rehab exercises.
“We’re just being cautious right now” said Phillips recently. “The doctors and trainers have given good reports. I feel great – no pain, no swelling.”
This is common with arthritis sufferers. One day they feel great, the next day they can’t move.
That is what Phillips has – arthritis. Patellofemoral arthritis in his left knee, to be exact. It is not an injury. It is a condition. The surgery was performed to relieve the symptoms of the arthritis, not to repair anything.
Basically, the procedure was aimed to give Phillips a chance at strengthening the knee and stave off further arthritic deterioration. So far, he feels as if it has been a success, and even though he’s chomping at the bit to get back on the field, he knows he has to be patient.
“There’s no reason to rush it. We’re just taking our time. I do the normal conditioning, same thing the team does – but not with the team, so I’m in pretty good shape.”
In the meanwhile, Phillips will continue to workout individually. He will not participate in team drills at next week’s mini-camp.
When asked if he expects to be out on the field come training camp, Phillips didn’t hesitate (“Yes, that is my goal.”)
A reporter asked if he was on track for that. He answered with an affirmative “Yes, sir.”
The Realities………..
Safeties coach David Merritt was guarded in his analysis of Phillips. Like everyone else, he seems to hoping for the best, but is preparing for the worst.
“He and the doctors have all stated that he should be ready to go in training camp. Now whether that’s one a day, whether that’s two a days … The kid is running right now. I don’t know how much cutting he’s doing on the knee, but I’m looking for him to come back in training camp. I’m not looking to put him in mini-camp or anything like that.
Phillips has a condition that will have to be managed for not only the remainder of his career, but for the remainder of his life. Arthritis is unpredictable. He can be a Pro Bowl- caliber safety one week, and then the knee could flare up causing him to either sit or be rendered ineffective.
The Giants are not saying this aloud, but they’ve been thinking it. Their rush to get safety help in the off-season reflects their inner thinking.
They gave an enormous contract to free agent Antrel Rolle. Then they signed reliable veteran Deon Grant. Rolle was the prototype safety at the U of Miami before Sean Taylor and Kenny Phillips. Grant was the player the Sporting News compared Phillips to before the Giants drafted him. Go figure.
The Giants also added LSU’s Chad Jones in this year’s draft. They still have Michael Johnson and Sha’reff Rashad, and free agent rookie Mike Greco from Central Florida has been praised by Merritt this spring.
GM Jerry Reese and coach Tom Coughlin are still very high on Phillips, but their actions are showing otherwise. Perhaps they are buying time right now for Phillips, which is a good thing. If he can come back this season, it’s a bonus. If not, the Giants are prepared.
Here’s a clip from last night’s Geico Sportsnite on SNY. The footage includes reports from Giants insider Mike Garafolo on Kenny Phillips and his rehab. Also in the video is reaction from newly acquired safety Deon Grant.
Also included in the video is Barry Cofield’s take on Phillips’ injury. Cofield, who had the same surgery in the past said it took a full calendar year before he was able to fully participate in football activities. He said that Phillips is “7 months ahead of schedule.”
Don’t know if it was our article that Tom Coughlin was responding to this morning, but he made sure everyone understood why the Giants signed Antrel Rolle yesterday.
“The idea that this is associated with the Kenny Phillips situation is incorrect,” Coughlin said. “We needed to answer some questions in terms of the safety position. This move puts us in a position now where we feel this can be a really strong part of our team. We needed to really solidify and help the safety position based on last year’s experience. That’s the reason this objective was so important to us.”
Thank you. We were further straightened out when the coach stated that Rolle and Philips were “interchangeable” players, meaning they could end up playing wherever they fit best.
Coaches Secondary / Corners: Peter Giunta (3rd year) Secondary / Safeties: David Merritt (3rd year)
Defensive Coordinator: Bill Sheridan (1st year)
Safeties: Kenny Phillips, Michael Johnson (Starters), C.C. Brown, Steve Cargile Cornerbacks:Corey Webster, Aaron Ross (Starters), Terrell Thomas, Kevin Dockery, DeAndre Wright, Rashad Barksdale Others: Stoney Woodson, Vince Anderson, Bruce Johnson, Travonti Johnson, Sha’reff Rashad
Overview
The NFL is chock full of athletes that fit the defensive back prototype, that is why every team invites over a dozen players to camp each year. How many of them can play at a high level is another question. The Giants want to make sure they have sufficient talent at the position as well as fill their roster with capable athletes. Three starters in the Giants’ secondary were the club’s top selections in three of the last four drafts.
Pete Giunta, who was in the running for the job of defensive coordinator runs the corners while David Merritt, a former Arizona Cardinal linebacker, handles the safeties. The split responsibilities has worked very well thus far. This year, the club is hoping to see all of this young talent come to fruition and make a significant impact.
Safeties
Michael Johnson was a 7th round draft pick out of Arizona in 2007. He ended up being thrust into action during the Giants’ Super Bowl run. What a find this kid was. Since joining the Giants, he has played in every single game, starting 21 of them. Last season, he started every game at free safety, including the playoffs, and was second behind Antonio Pierce on the team with 77 tackles.
Kenny Phillips was the team’s first round selection in last season’s draft. The former Miami Hurricane came to camp with high expectations, but he was not inserted into the starting lineup until late in the season. Phillips still made major contributions as a sub with 66 tackles and an interception off the Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger in the Giants’ regular season victory in Pittsburgh. He is currently #1 on the depth chart at strong safety.
C.C.Brown was signed as a free agent this past winter. Brown comes over from the Houston Texans where he was a starter until he broke his forearm last season. The Giants see a lot of James Butler in Brown. The coaching staff likes his aggressiveness and his ability to call plays.
Steve Cargile is a Columbia product that failed to catch on with the 3 other clubs who signed him. The Giants may not keep him, either. They are obviously intrigued by his size (6’2″, 218) and his intelligence. He may end up being unseated by a number of players: Sha’reff Rashad; Vince Anderson, a corner; Kenny Ingram, a linebacker and even Gerris Wilkerson and Michael Boley have been discussed as candidates to bolster the safety ranks.
Analysis: At some point the cream has to rise. Michael Johnson has played extraordinarily well for a 7th rounder, and its common sense he will only get better. Phillips is the key, here. He needs to step up and provide the Giants with the type of play his Miami forerunners, Ed Reed and Sean Taylor provided their teams past their rookie seasons. Now, that would be something.
Cornerbacks
The Giants waited a few seasons for 2005 top pick Corey Webster to get his sea legs. Now they are waiting for 2007 top pick Aaron Ross to get his. He better find them fast because the Giants have an army of bodies just waiting for a chance. Terrell Thomas, last year’s 2nd rounder out of USC, has a ton of talent. He’s got the championship pedigree and the Giants will have to find playing time for him.
Kevin Dockery has done nothing but make plays since the Giants signed him as a rookie free agent. At 5’8″, 185, Dockery is on the small size, but he has the field sense of a seasoned veteran to compensate for that.
Rashad Barksdale is the first player from SUNY Albany to play for the Giants. For those of you who are unaware, that is where the club holds its training camp. Barksdale was primarily a practice squad player last season and has moved up the depth chart as a result of the team being thin at corner last season.
DeAndre Wright and Stoney Woodson, both taken by the Giants in the final rounds of this year’s draft, have the inside track on making the club. Jerry Reese gives his picks a lot more latitude than he does undrafted free agents, so it remains to be seen if these guys can return dividends.
Analysis: We never get the chance to see how good these corners really are because the pass rush forces a lot of quick passes. The rush is back this year, so the key will be to wrap and tackle to prevent big plays. Webster, Ross and Thomas may end up rotating with Dockery coming in to spell them. Its hard to predict who the others will be because corners are like relief pitchers in baseball. Hot and cold.
Outlook
It still is unclear who will man the middle in the nickel. Butler and Gibril Wilson had done an admiral job over the years. As stated, Phillips must step up. He is the enforcer in that secondary now. It is time for these highly regarded, talented players to begin to realize their potential. If that happens, this defense has a chance to be the league’s best.
SNY's Giants Football Blog is the primary source for New York Giants' news, information, opinion, video and entertainment.
John Fennelly - Managing Editor
Rich Resch - Senior Editor
Columnists: Craig Santucci, Jon Wagner, Kel Dansby, Dan Stack, Dr. Football (Bill Chachkes), Chris Johnson
