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| Sept 23
The
season is only three weeks old and the Giants are preparing
for their annual vacation. After Sunday's 26-23 overtime escape
against Cincinnati they are looking to their bye weekend,
which for them always seems to come early. The players are off today, as they normally are in season. And while Eli Manning is unveiling his likeness at Madame Tussaud's wax museum in Manhattan, Coughlin will be across the river sequestered with his staff, reviewing the first three weeks in great detail. It's hardly a good sample. Nonetheless, corrections will be made tomorrow and Thursday based on that study. A long weekend should give Aaron Ross (shoulder) and Mathias Kiwanuka (ankle) an opportunity to recover. Others will get a chance to enjoy some down time and check in on the Seattle Seahawks, who are up next. Getting
off to their best start in eight years has only made the
Super Bowl champion Giants wary. To understand their concern,
look at the NFC East standings. The Giants and Cowboys are
tied for first place in the division with 3-0 records, a game
ahead of Philadelphia and Washington. When DE Mathias Kiwanuka hadn't recorded a sack through the first two weeks of the season, veteran CB Sam Madison noticed he was frustrated. So when Kiwanuka got his first of the season Sunday against the Bengals, Madison made sure to tell him, "They come in bunches." Madison and the rest of the defense are hoping the same is true for defensive turnovers. The Giants have just one takeaway this season. Now that Michael Strahan has retired and Osi Umenyiora is out for the season with a knee injury, Justin Tuck is widely regarded as the Giants' best defensive lineman. Not according to Tuck himself, however. "If you ask me," he said, "Fred Robbins is our best lineman. I really believe that." The Giants' linemen have a competition to see who gets the most sacks, and Robbins leads with four, getting two in each of the last two games. Coming off a sensational performance in which he scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter of last week's victory in St. Louis, it figured that Ahmad Bradshaw Ahmad Bradshaw would get the ball in his hands against the Bengals. That did not happen, as Bradshaw was limited to two rushing attempts and one five-yard reception in the Giants New York Giants ' 26-23 overtime victory. Former Giants
ESPN - Winless Bengals show fight, but Giants prevail in OT. Giants.com - Giants defeat Bengals, 26-23 (OT). StarLedger - Giants' Boss makes offensive impact. StarLedger - Giants' Carney to be looking for job soon. NYDailyNews - Giants stay perfect, beat Bengals in OT on John Carney's field goal. NYDailyNews - Big hauls for Toomer, Plax. NYDailyNews - Kevin finally gets to show who's the Boss at tight end. NYDailyNews - Sam Madison turns corner with big play in overtime vs. Bengals. NYDaily News - John Carney's not bad for a temporary kicker. Newsday - Giants not upset over win without style points. Newsday - Giants Q&A: Pierce is a real stopper. Newsday - Giants say thrilling OT win was never in doubt. Newsday - Boss makes crucial TD catch in fourth. Newsday - Giants kept running but finally passed test late. Newsday - Giants' Carney kicks winner, but might get boot. Newsday- The Summary. TheRecord - Boss gets involved with offense. TheRecord - Giants Instant Replay. TheRecord - Giants keep it simple. TheRecord - Carney could be history with Tynes set to return. NYPost - Pierce commits heads-up penalty. NYPost - Late-game heroics now routine for Eli. NYPost - Carney's 22-yard FG leads to OT victory. Cincinnati.com - Is close good enough? Cincinnati.com - Giants survive Bengals' upset bid. Cincinnati.com - Young secondary comes up short. Game 3 Preview
- Giants
vs Cincinnati Sept 21 Since the Giants are constantly reminded where they came from last season, nobody had to be convinced the Cincinnati Bengals could present a problem. All week long the defending champions have overlooked the 0-2 record, knowing it did not prevent them from hoisting the Lombardi Trophy at season's end. The focus was instead on devising a way to prevent Carson Palmer and his Pro Bowl receivers from suddenly gaining confidence. The word was out last week for the Giants not to take the St. Louis Rams lightly. They are dangerous, warned coach Tom Coughlin. In the end, however, the Rams were not dangerous. The Giants pulled away with ease in the fourth quarter en route to a 41-13 win. The word this week was for the Giants (2-0) not to take the Cincinnati Bengals (0-2) lightly. Coughlin again warned that the Bengals are dangerous. It is practically impossible to consider Justin Tuck Justin Tuck letting down for one play, much less an entire game. Yet the rising-star defensive end understands why that's a topic of discussion as the unbeaten Giants today face the winless Bengals at Giants Stadium. "You have a great game [and] you start getting on Cloud Nine, you start thinking the world is at your feet," Tuck said. "You get in the ring with Mike Tyson the next week, you get knocked out. Human nature is to overlook people." The
Giants' first three opponents this season have so far
combined for a 1-5 record. The three teams they face after
next week's bye have combined to go 1-5, too. That's a cup-cakewalk
no one ever expected for a team coming off a Super Bowl title.
At this rate they might not even break a sweat until they
travel to Pittsburgh on Oct. 26. Pass rush is important, and being able to generate consistent pressure on the quarterback while rushing only four players is the basis of a good defense. However, a team could have the best pass rush on the planet, but if its secondary doesn't cover, it wouldn't make a bit of difference. Surely a consistent pass rush makes the job of the secondary a lot easier, but Steve Spagnoulo's system does require some specifics skills. Jamming at the line is a must, and big physical corners like Aaron Ross and Webster excel at it. It's an especially important skill when the Giants blitz, since it can disrupt the timing of hot routes and other timing plays. The Giants haven't played a football game at Yankee Stadium since early in the 1973 season. Yet, when the ballpark in the Bronx closes its doors for the final time tonight, there will be some aches of nostalgia coursing through those who, like Mara, remember the football with as much fondness as the baseball. "I remember as a kid sitting in Mickey Mantle's locker and what a thrill that was for me," John Mara said this week. Former Giants Sept 20 NJT announced that it will restore direct bus service from the Port Authority Bus Terminal (PABT) for football games at Giants Stadium while continuing to operate the new rail/bus service via Secaucus Junction. Beginning Sunday, September 21, NJT will operate No. 351 direct bus service from the PABT to the Meadowlands Sports Complex for all Jets and Giants home football games. In addition, the new No. 353 rail/bus shuttle from Penn Station New York with connecting bus service at Secaucus Junction will also be available for football fans going to the Meadowlands - giving customers both rail and bus options for games this season. The
season is heading into its third weekend and already the
Giants New York Giants are faced with a recurring theme. How
do you get up for an opponent that is so down? Two games in
the books, one on the way tomorrow and already one common
message for the Giants: Try not to believe the hype when it
comes to how downtrodden the opponent actually is. He doesn't have the size or power of Jeremy Shockey. Still, that doesn't mean Steve Smith isn't effective in his own right when the Giants line the second-year receiver in some of the same spots on the field where the outspoken tight end used to roam. With the disgruntled Shockey shipped off to the Saints, it's opened up more of a role for Smith. He's third on the team in receptions and is showing some of the promise that led the Giants to draft him in the second round in 2007. So far, the only knock on Smith is his inability to stay healthy. WR Sinorice Moss stumped why he's not playing much. The third-year receiver said he didn't know why he was the only active player not to play in St. Louis, or why in his third year he's still the team's most forgotten man. Despite a sputtering start to his NFL career, the 24-year-old Moss still believes his time will come. In fact, he still thinks it will happen with the Giants. He said that despite rumors and reports, he has no desire to be traded. Even though he has just 27 catches and has played in only 21 games since his arrival, he said he's never considered asking for a trade. Sept 19 Through
two games, there are no receptions by any of the three
Giants tight ends, one of the very few blemishes on the offense's
performance. Kevin Boss has blocked well, opening up lanes
for the running game, but he's known more as a pass-catcher
and thus far he's only had less than a handful of balls thrown
his way. Steve
Spagnuolo is on the short list of just about every NFL
team for a head coaching job. A year ago this week, though,
he was on a different, less dignified list with Giants fans.
The first-year coordinator was at the helm of a defense that
allowed 80 points in the first two weeks, both of them losses.
Many people began to ask if he was the right man for the job.
The rave reviews have hit Justin Tuck this week with the same force he hits quarterbacks. One website ranked him as one of the five best defensive players in the league. One talking head anointed him as an early candidate for defensive player of the year. It is the sort of stuff that could really inflate a guy's head, but if Tuck ever needs to knock himself down a notch or 92, he only has to check the text messages on his cell phone. You're just lucky! That was the opinion of an unimpressed Michael Strahan, coming hours after Tuck had two sacks and returned an interception for a touchdown in the Giants' 41-13 victory over St. Louis. Kevin Gilbride likes running backs' differences. It's not the order, Kevin Gilbride said, it's the difference. "I would love to say that's the way we thought about it or planned it out going in, but that has really not been our case," the Giants' offensive coordinator said of the three-running back attack the team used with stunning success on Sunday. Having Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward pound a defense before letting quick-footed Ahmad Bradshaw run around the winded players seems like a great idea, but Gilbride said it just happens that way because Jacobs is the starter. Up next it's the surging Giants defense against the laboring Bengals offense. Is this a fair fight? There's harmony and unity within a unit that plugged in five new starters off a Super Bowl defense and has come out mauling. There's a dysfunctional quality to the Bengals' attack, with quarterback Carson Palmer openly admitting he's struggling with his confidence. That's the disparity heading into Sunday's game between the 2-0 Giants and 0-2 Bengals. Sept
18 For
the second week in a row, the defending Super Bowl champions
are facing what many people figure to be an .inferior opponent.
Vegas odds have made the Giants nearly a two-touchdown favorite.
For a team that thrives on being portrayed as underdogs and
getting no respect, that kind of confidence can be dangerous. Chad
Ocho Cinco (formerly Johnson) has established himself
as one of the top characters in what many think is an NFL
without much pizzazz. His post-touchdown antics have set him
apart from other great receivers, although he knows Sunday's
game against the unbeaten Giants in the Meadowlands might
not be the ideal spot for a Big Apple style celebration. Some people might see the Giants' glaring zero receptions by their tight ends as a weakness. Eli Manning prefers to look at it as a positive. It means everyone is doing their job. "It's not a matter of we aren't trying to get the ball to [Kevin Boss]," Manning said Wednesday. "It's just defenses are playing certain ways where we have some one-on-one matchups outside and we feel like it's crowded inside." Manning did hit Boss for a long gain Sunday, but the play was negated by a holding penalty. Manning said Boss is getting open on his routes, but so are other players.. The
Giants have said repeatedly how much of a luxury it is
to have three talented backs who can be swapped in and out
of the game. And the rotation has certainly worked well thus
far, as the Giants have gained 354 yards on the ground through
their first two games. If Jacobs, Ward and Bradshaw each continue
to have success, though, Jacobs said things could get a bit
dicey. "Sunday, we just all happened to be hot," Jacobs said.
"Then what do you do in that situation? That's the question."
Sept 17
In
the opener, a new call was unveiled at the Redskins 1-yard
line, a naked bootleg designed to get the flow of the defense
moving to the left and then have Eli Manning reverse-pivot
to the right. He had a pass-run option, but when tight end
Michael Matthews could not break free in the end zone Manning
decided to test his wheels, with linebacker Marcus Washington
charging at him. Teammates kid the 6-foot-4 Manning for his
less-than-graceful running style, but he expertly faked outside
and then cut inside of Washington for an untouched TD scamper.
Eli Manning is almost habitually throwing the ball downfield this season in search of the big play. And he's made enough connections in the first two weeks to revise the scouting reports. This is more than a plan to loosen up the defense. This is a way to keep things exciting for everyone involved. "We're going to do what's successful," Manning said. "Being able to run the ball is kind of what we're good at, and it works for us, but we've got to be able to mix it up. When there are opportunities to take some shots, and the defense is giving us that ability, we have to be able to take advantage of it. We can't let them get away with things." The
Giants are 2-0, have scored 57 points, thrown for 476
yards and gained 5.6 yards per carry on the ground. So does
anybody still miss Jeremy Shockey? The volatile tight end's
absence from the Giants has been inconspicuous, to say the
least, through the defending champs' hot start to this season.
No, they haven't completed a single pass to a tight end yet
(at least not one that wasn't called back due to a penalty),
but the offense has been just fine. No longer is Justin Tuck that other guy, the one who comes in to spell or complement Michael Strahan or Osi Umenyiora. Now he's the one who is leading the ferocious defensive line of the Giants. He's the player who is leading the team not only in sacks (three) but highlight reel plays. He's the one at the forefront of a defense that leads the NFC in fewest yards and points allowed per game. Around here, the Tuck stops. So the comparisons become inevitable. How much of Strahan has rubbed off on Tuck? The Giants are 2-0 thanks largely to a defense that has allowed only 20 points - none in the first and third quarters. They defeated Washington, 16-7 and won Sunday in St. Louis, 41-13. The 20 points is tied with New England for the second-lowest total allowed in the NFL (Tennessee has given up 17). The Giants have moved from the bottom almost all the way to top of the league's points allowed rankings in their last 16 regular season games - a full season. Former Giants Sept 16 Just
after 2 p.m. Monday -- once the Giants finished their
weekly day-after corrections session -- the team's locker
room felt more like a frat house on a Friday afternoon. Directions
to Monday night's barbecue at left tackle David Diehl's house
were strewn across the floor. Fifty-three players made a mad
rush for the showers, stopping only to rag on running back
Derrick Ward for an unknown offense. Brandon Jacobs proclaimed
aloud his affinity for being "Earth" in the Giants' dynamic
"Earth, Wind & Fire" running back trio. Big
Blue is looking for big plays. That certainly was the
case in Sunday's 41-13 win over the Rams. Manning completed
20 of 29 passes for 260 yards and had a passer rating of 131.4,
his highest in a regular-season game. But six of his nine
incompletions came on passes in which the Giants were looking
for a quick-strike score. Five of those plays were intended
for Toomer. The other was for Steve Smith. On each of them,
a receiver was in single coverage, running down the field,
and Manning hoisted a throw of at least 40 yards in the air. The Giants are the only team in the NFL without a catch by a tight end. Perhaps it wouldn't be such an issue if the player Kevin Boss is trying to replace wasn't the bombastic and extremely talented Jeremy Shockey. But that's against whom Boss is being measured. "It's not that he's doing anything wrong or not getting open," said quarterback Eli Manning, who completed 20 passes to eight receivers after hitting seven targets in the opener. "We had a few (plays) I could have gone to him, but I tried to hit Amani (Toomer) deep down the field. "He's doing a good job and he is getting open when he's in there. It's just a matter of the ball's going to another spot." After not touching the ball on offense in the first seven quarters of the season, running back Ahmad Bradshaw erupted for 52 rushing yards and one 31-yard touchdown run, plus an 18-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter of the Giants' 41-13 victory over the Rams. Afterward, coach Tom Coughlin said Bradshaw, during warm-ups, "looked like his old self," and yesterday hinted Bradshaw had some minor physical ailments that kept him off the field. Lawrence Tynes is "advancing" in his recovery from a knee injury, according to Coughlin, and will do a little more kicking this week. Coughlin said Tynes is "very close" to kicking the 40-50 balls per day that he said he needs to kick before he can return to a game. John Carney, Tynes' 44-year-old replacement, is 5-for-5 on field goals through the first two games. The Giants are 2-0, they've allowed 20 points, and with an upcoming schedule that features four teams with a combined record of 1-7, a 6-0 start seems well within reason. The Giants host Cincinnati on Sunday, then have their bye week. Then again, the way the Bengals have been playing, it's essentially a two-week bye. Let's face it: home to Cincinnati, home to Seattle, at Cleveland and home to San Francisco is hardly a murderous stretch. And it pales in comparison to what awaits them afterward: two games each against Dallas and Philly, at the Steelers, home to Carolina and at Minnesota to finish off the season. As
Tom Coughlin quietly walked through the Giants' locker
room Monday, there were players yelling all around him. But
this kind of commotion was something even he didn't mind.
His players were upbeat, happy, maybe even giddy as they enjoyed
every moment of their 2-0 start, one day after they had hammered
the St. Louis Rams, 41-13. And why shouldn't they be giddy?
After all, still fresh in their minds was the misery of last
year when they started 0-2. Former Giants
ESPN - Manning tosses three TDs; defense sacks Bulger six times in win. Giants.com - Giants defeat Rams, 41-13. Newsday - Giants crush Rams, 41-13. Newsday - Bradshaw provides fourth-quarter fire. Newsday - Giants Overtime Q&A: Tuck savored his first TD. Newsday - Now Giants want to dominate, not just win. Newsday - Grading the Giants. Newsday- The Summary. NYDailyNews - Eli Manning is New York City's best quarterback. NYDailyNews - 'Earth, Wind and Fire' backfield leads Giants with power. NYDailyNews - Justin Tuck won't let first touchdown slip away vs. Rams. NY Daily News - Giants batter Rams, 41-13, to win 12th straight away from Giants Stadium NYPost - Phillips:Holt didn't have ball during 45-yard TD. NYPost - Road Warriors rough up Rams. NYPost - Giants' RB attack 3 times as lethal. TheRecord - Giants’ running game punishes Rams. TheRecord - Week 2: replay. TheRecord - Giants notes. STL Today - Rams fail to finish fight. STL Today - Sad, 'lousy' or ridiculous? Rams are just plain terrible. STL Today - Too soon to judge what the season holds. STL Today - Newcomer Carney kicks it old school. . Game 2 Preview
- Giants
vs Rams Sept
14 It's
on the road again for the Giants and, judging from their
recent history, there's no place they would rather be. There
is no definitive explanation, and thus there's no sense trying
to uncover the answer to the great mystery as to why the 2007
Giants turned into an unbeatable road team. They lost last
year's season-opener on the road, in Dallas, but went on to
win their next seven regular-season road games - including
one in London against the Dolphins which was technically a
Giants road game. The
St. Louis Rams' final two home games in 2007 had the feel
of neutral-site matchups, or worse. Packers and Steelers fans
scooped up thousands of unwanted tickets and rooted the visitors
to victory. For today's home opener against the Super Bowl
champion Giants that follows a dismal opener on the road,
the Rams might once again be the foil rather than the featured
attraction. There's no telling what type of reception players
might expect after a 38-3 drubbing in Philadelphia which brought
back memories of a 3-13 season. Danny Clark peered through the translucent shield on Antonio Pierce's helmet and saw something he has never seen in a huddle. Pierce's eyes were closed. The Giants' middle linebacker wasn't napping or meditating. He was trying to listen to the play call coming from the sideline. "I'm like, 'You can open your eyes. You'll still hear everything. I promise,'" Clark, the Giants' strong-side linebacker, recalled the other day with a laugh. "And later, he starts barking back at them, like, 'I got it! I got it!' So I tell him, 'You know they can't hear you, right?'" The
Giants (1-0) expect a motivated Rams team - angry and
determined to show their fans that they're not as bad as they
looked last week. They had just 166 yards of offense against
the Eagles, including 36 on the ground. And their defense
was ripped apart for 522 yards, including 414 through the
air. Now they've lost starting receiver Drew Bennett to a
foot injury. And their fans - what's left of them - are still
reeling from an 0-8 start last season that led to a miserable
3-13 year. By the end of last season, while the Giants were on their way to winning the Super Bowl, running back Ahmad Bradshaw emerged as a tremendous weapon. With bruising power and elusive speed, Bradshaw came on late in the season as an effective complement to starter Brandon Jacobs. In fact, it was Bradshaw who led the Giants in rushing in the championship win over New England. And yet Bradshaw stood at the end of the Giants' opening-night victory over Washington this season with a stat line that was difficult to believe. Zero carries. Plaxico
Burress on missing Michael Strahan - "He just thinks
he's the comedian on the football team . . . thinks he's the
best-dressed football player in the world . . . definitely
his leadership, that's something that we all miss, for somebody
to stand up and speak at the right time, that was always him." David Carr puts his helmet in the same place every game now. "There's definitely a routine you have to go through so you're not scrambling around looking like an idiot when something happens," he said. That "something happens" happened in New England last Sunday. It also happened in Tennessee. It'll probably happen during at least one of the 16 NFL games played this weekend. A starting quarterback suffers an injury and the backup, standing on the sideline with his arms folded, must tear the baseball cap from his head, grab his helmet and get to work. Stadium News Sept 13
Every
day at training camp, it seemed, the Giants were working
off the same page of their playbook. They constantly sent
receivers deep in search of long Eli Manning passes. The goal,
they said, was to take an offense that was "managed" during
their Super Bowl run last season and turn it into a big-play
attack. But that didn't happen in the season opener, when
the Giants had only two pass plays of 20 yards or longer.
So now they are expecting to unveil their big-play offense
in St. Louis on Sunday. The
first indoor test for the speaker installed in the helmet
of Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce Antonio Pierce comes tomorrow
when the Giants New York Giants face the Rams inside the Edward
Jones Dome. Still, given Pierce's extreme knowledge of the
Giants' defense, there's no desire to inundate him with information
from the sideline. "We don't do a lot of talking to Antonio,
we try not to," Spagnuolo said. "With all that extra stuff,
you have to let the guys play." This is the first time Mathias Kiwanuka will line up opposite Orlando Pace, known as "the Big O" and renowned as one of the best pass blockers in recent NFL history. Pace is coming off surgery to repair a torn right rotator cuff and torn labrum, a tough injury for a huge man who must keep rushers at bay with his hands and arms. The biggest news out of Week 1 in the NFL was the season-ending injury to Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady. As everyone watched the desperate eyes of New England turn to Brady backup Matt Cassel, similar scenes were unfolding around the league. Titans' QB Vince Young is out with a knee injury. Kerry Collins will start in his place and Chris Simms was signed as a backup. And at Tampa Bay, Jeff Garcia is on the shelf, an ankle sprain, benching him in favor of backup Brian Griese. Stadium News Sept 12
Many
have already stamped St. Louis as a team headed for another
3-13 season, and Vegas has them as nine-point underdogs to
the Super Bowl-champion Giants on Sunday. But the Giants aren't
taking the Rams lightly, and recent history says that's one
smart bet. Mathias
Kiwanuka, the defensive end turned linebacker turned defensive
end, returned to practice Thursday for the first time since
injuring his left ankle on the last play of the Giants' season
opener against Washington last week. That is good news for
the Giants and bad news for the Rams. The worst news for St.
Louis is that Kiwanuka's comfort level with his new/old position
is rising. Last week the offensive line stayed intact more or less the entire game, with Madison Hedgecock at fullback and Michael Matthews moving around at H-back. It was pretty much the stuff that we thought we would see coming into the game. The defense, on the other hand, was not so simple. The Giants defense stayed on a steady rotation against Washington. The
first thing Mathias Kiwanuka checks out about an opponent
isn't the won-loss record or the quarterback's stats or the
size of the left tackle he's going to face. No, first he runs
his finger down their schedule. He's looking for one word:
Philadelphia. "Any time we play a team that the Eagles have
played, that's one of the first films that we go to because
we have similar defenses," Kiwanuka said yesterday. Sept 11 The Super Bowl rings the Giants got in May represent their proudest professional achievement. So it's not surprising what they had inscribed on the side of the ring for every coach and player: "Eleven Straight on the Road." Now the Giants are itching to make it 12. The "Road Warriors," as they were dubbed last season, will hit the road on Sunday for the first time this season, when they travel to St. Louis to take on the 0-1 Rams. Madison
Hedgecock never expected to be cut by the Rams early last
season, but as the one-year anniversary of that day arrives
Friday, the fullback couldn't be happier. Picked up immediately
by the Giants, Hedgecock became an instant starter and major
contributor to the Super Bowl title run. Despite
the accolades and attention that he collected last season,
Madison Hedgecock struggled to get over the anger he felt
after winding up on waivers. It stings even now. And he didn't
stay unemployed long. It's not like the North Carolina native
packed up and spent time at home on the farm wondering if
there would ever be a second chance. Time will tell how much impact John Carney will have on the Giants season. One or two victories could be the difference in making the playoffs or not. Every kick carries a measure of importance. His three field goals were the difference in the win over the Redskins. Next he will kick against the Rams on Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome where he won't worry about the weather or whether he will be around for Week 3. Osi Umenyiora can envision a Super Bowl repeat next Feb.1, with his defending champion Giants opposing the Patriots in Tampa. There are two noticeable voids, however. "Who would have thought me and (Patriots quarterback) Tom Brady would be out for the year, after we both played in the Super Bowl?" Umenyiora said Wednesday with a chuckle. Stadium News Sept 10 There were 63,660 people in the stands, hundreds more on either sideline and 21 other players on the field at Texas Stadium in January, but Corey Webster only heard one voice: Sam Madison's. "Run! Pass! Get your hands up!' I could hear that the whole time and I used it to my advantage," Webster, the Giants' fourth-year cornerback, recalled the other day about the 12-year veteran Madison, who was sidelined for that playoff victory against the Cowboys with a sports hernia. With John Carney now working out of Giants Stadium, three of the top five scorers in NFL history have Giants connections. Carney, who was signed on Aug. 30 because of Lawrence Tynes' knee injury, kicked three field goals and an extra point in the Giants' 16-7 season-opening victory over the Washington Redskins. That raised his career total to 1,822 points, just five behind Stover. The Ravens will face the Giants here on Nov. 16. Last year, the Giants completed at least one pass to a tight end in each of their 20 games but one: Week 16 in Buffalo, the week after Shockey sustained his season-ending injury. Thursday, Manning threw three times to his tight ends. He overthrew Boss in the end zone, he underthrew Johnson, and the third was intercepted as he tried to loft one to Boss. So if they're not catching passes the way Shockey did (he had six catches for 54 yards in his Saints debut), what are these tight ends doing? They turned in a nice blocking effort. Especially Boss, who was on the field for nearly every second-half snap. Since
there is no shortage of proven running backs ready and
waiting to go on the sideline this season, Giants coach Tom
Coughlin constantly is preaching about the virtue of patience.
It's a waiting game. Coughlin said, "There is not going to
be an even distribution. When a guy has a chance, sometimes
he gets the hot hand, and you stay with him." Brandon Jacobs
is sitting pretty on the depth chart right now. The powerful
runner got most of the work last week against the Washington
Redskins, finishing with 116 yards on 21 carries. Derrick
Ward also got some work. He finished with 39 yards on nine
carries. Eli Manning had the only rushing touchdown of the
game. One of an NFL coach's favorite early-season cliches is, "It's not a sprint, it's a marathon." That reminds everyone each team plays 16 games before they start handing out postseason invitations, so don't get too caught up in what happens early on. For the Giants, however, hopes of successfully defending their Super Bowl championship may rest on a sprint from the starting line through the first six games. Based on results from the first week, they could and should win those first half-dozen. Think
the Giants will be able to easy match or exceed the Eagles'
38 points they pinned on the Rams' last week? Maybe they will.
But if they do, it would completely buck the trend of matchups
between a Tom Coughlin offense and a Jim Haslett defense.
Of course, Coughlin holds the lead in the category that matters:
wins. Coughlin's teams are 5-3 against the Saints (with whom
Haslett served as head coach from 2000-05) and the Steelers
(Haslett was defensive coordinator from 1997-99). Sept 9 It
took Reuben Droughns five NFL seasons to get his hands
on the football on a regular basis. So last week, when Ahmad
Bradshaw didn't touch it once on offense in the Giants' 16-7
victory against the Redskins, nobody understood better than
Droughns. What
was the Giants' reaction to Michael Strahan's assertion
on Sunday's Fox NFL pregame show that the Cowboys are the
best team in the NFL, and that as such they will win the Super
Bowl? All smiles. "You know he is media now, so that is what
happens when you go to the dark side," Eli Manning cracked.
Said linebacker Antonio Pierce: "That's why they hired him,
to do things that are outrageous and a little bit out of the
norm. Hey, if I was a broadcaster, I'd probably pick the Cowboys,
too. Jessie
Armstead has very strong opinions about what he should
do with his life. "I was born for football," the
former Giants linebacker said. "No matter what I do,
it always results back to football. You can't beat it."
In that case, you have to join it. After working for a while
as a voluntary coach, Armstead is now a full-time member of
the Giants' organization with the title of special assistant/consultant.
His new job calls for him to handle a variety of roles. Former Giants Sept 8 Bryan Kehl was sitting in front of his locker Thursday night preparing himself for his first game in the NFL. He figured he'd get a few chances on special teams, maybe find his way onto the field with the defense for a few plays. That was enough to get him excited. Then the coaches told him the news, about 15 minutes before he ran onto the field for warm-ups. Kehl, a rookie linebacker from BYU, would split time with Gerris Wilkinson at weak-side linebacker throughout the game. "I wasn't expecting that," Kehl said. "I was sitting here thinking 'Man, I'm going to be out there playing defense in the regular-season opener for the defending Super Bowl champions.' That was surreal." Kehl (five tackles) and Wilkinson (three) alternated series in the 16-7 win over the Redskins, and it seems as if that rotation will continue this week as the Giants prepare for the Rams. LB Bryan Kehl was signed by the Giants as a fourth round pick, "When we were sitting in the tunnel, let me tell you, that was crazy. We were waiting for the team to be announced and I was standing there in excitement and in awe. To see them showing highlights from past Super Bowl championships, seeing the Black Hawk helicopters flying over, with the fans screaming at the top of their lungs, Michael Strahan standing on the podium holding the Super Bowl trophy, some of the great former Giants all over the field, it was just wild." Some customers of Park Cleaners might not know it, but in addition to hemming slacks and pressing shirts, Barry Barone also scrubs and mends the uniforms worn by the Giants and Jets. While the Barones use several professional-grade products to keep the greens and blues clean and bright, when it comes to detergent, they are big fans of Tide powder - with either Febreze or Downy fabric softener added. Scented fabric softener is a must for washing jerseys, Barone said. "If you don't, even if you wash, you'll still get a smell," he said. Barone's prowess as a launderer comes from years of experience, and no formal training. Shelly Lewis took one close look before zooming in her camera on New York Giants star Plaxico Burress as he stretched his muscles before the Giants-Redskins game on Thursday night. "I got unbelievable pics of him working out, shots my husband would be embarassed about," gushed the borough resident, who won Canon's "Shoot Like a Pro" sweepstakes, which gave her an opportunity to shoot photographs from the sidelines like a professional sports photographer during the game. Former Giants Sept 7 In
the season-opening victory over the Redskins. At several
positions, the Giants rotated players and used all of their
depth to attack - and confuse - Washington. All three tight
ends played on offense. Five wide receivers combined for 15
catches. And all seven defensive linemen who were active got
at least a few chances to get after Redskins quarterback Jason
Campbell. It's only one game, which makes for a small sample,
but it's a pretty good indication the Giants plan to rotate
players more than in the past. Justin Tuck is the last remnant of last year's dangerous defensive end rotation. Osi Umenyiora is out for the season after having surgery on his knee, and Strahan is in a Fox studio enjoying his retirement. Tuck, who was a force with 10 sacks last year in mostly a reserve role, is the biggest returning piece of the NFL's best pass rush. And he knows he's expected to carry the defense while somehow filling a Hall of Famer's shoes. After setting the proper tone for a championship season, it's no longer accurate to call Giants offensive linemen David Diehl, Rich Seubert, Shaun O'Hara, Chris Snee and Kareem McKenzie underrated. They're no longer underappreciated, either. While there's not a single all-Pro in the group, they are featured on every opposing team's scouting report. They all have oversize Super Bowl rings to flash at will. And the Giants have taken care of them contractually. Watching John Carney kick three field goals and launch his kickoffs inside the 5-yard line Thursday night did not alarm Lawrence Tynes, even thoughCarney was doing - and doing very well - the tasks usually reserved for Tynes. Tynes knows he again will be the Giants' kicker when he fully recovers from the knee injury that forced the Giants to sign the 44-year-old Carney late last month. Stadium News Stadium News - no PSLs? Sept 6 Thursday
night, after Giants defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka was
dragged down from behind by Redskins offensive tackle Chris
Samuels, he was less concerned with the nature of the play
than how his left ankle felt. But once he reviewed the game
tape Friday, Kiwanuka -- along with several of his defensive
teammates -- didn't like what he saw. "Honestly, I thought
it was a dirty play," Kiwanuka said. "There's no question
about it, he was definitely beat. Instead of recovering or
giving up or whatever options he had ... I don't think there's
any place for that in the NFL." The day after his first regular season game as a head coach, Jim Zorn broke down the Washington Redskins' offensive problems in a 16-7 loss to the New York Giants on Thursday night, critiquing his own play-calling and decision-making as well as the mistakes of quarterback Jason Campbell. Zorn and Campbell will shoulder the brunt of the criticism as Washington transitions to a West Coast offense, as is the nature of their jobs. As coaches reviewed the game film, they concluded both could have performed better. Is Ahmad Bradshaw still on the team? Yes, and he did return a kickoff. But the second-year running back was left out of the rushing game. That wasn't by design, Tom Coughlin said. "I didn't get the rotation worked out the way I really would want to," he said. Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward took all of the team's handoffs, and they seemed to fare rather well. Coughlin pointed out that he was pleased with how the two backs worked against a physical, stout defense. "Not that I'm not pleased with Bradshaw," he said. "That's not the case. I just didn't get the right rotation." Eli Manning often talks of all the weapons the Giants have in their passing game. But Thursday night most of the aerial explosives were contained in one arsenal. Plaxico Burress caught 10 of Manning's 19 completions in the 16-7 opening-game win over the Redskins. And the Giants' quarterback said he was not just rewarding his top receiver for signing that five-year, $35 million deal prior to the game. It doesn't appear Lawrence Tynes is going to be back kicking for the Giants any time soon. Tynes tested his injured left knee yesterday for the first time in a month, attempting 10 field goals. He says he needs to get up to 40 or 50 a day before he tries kickoffs and even thinks about playing. Asked about the Giants' next game, Sept. 14 in St. Louis, Tynes said "That will be tough," and he offered a hint as to when he might return. For a defense with five different starters than it had for Super Bowl XLII, last night sent the message that opponents shouldn't expect a drop-off from last year. The Redskins gained 209 yards of total offense compared to the Giants' 354, and their time of possession was 11:26 less than the Giants. Tom Coughlin reviewed several topics pertaining to the Giants' season-opening game before he got to his bottom line on the 16-7 victory over the Washington Redskins. Although it was an impressive performance, the defensive players were hardly celebrating. Instead, they adhered to Coughlin’s theme that the game was a building block for the future. The Giants next play on Sept. 14 against the Rams in St. Louis.. The so-called personal seat license, a one-time charge, has put some diehards in jeopardy of losing prime spots they've held for decades or swapping them for the upper decks. "The anger in the stands where I sit was incredible," said John Delach, a retired Port Washington, L.I., insurance broker who bought his first season ticket in 1962 for $35.50. He has three season tickets in the lower deck, and it would cost him $30,000 to get similar seats in the new stadium. He plans to pass. "I didn't boo, but I fully understand," said Delach. Former Giants
ESPN - Giants' defense has little problem shutting down new-look Redskins. Giants.com - Giants defeat Redskins, 16-7. Giants.com - Postgame Player Quotes. StarLedger - Giants give receiver Plaxico Burress a lucrative extension. StarLedger - Former New York Giant Michael Strahan's return a trophy moment. StarLedger - Mathias Kiwanuka's injury nothing more than a scare for New York Giants. NYDailyNews - Giants open NFL season with 16-7 victory over Redskins. NYDailyNews - Giants fans tell co-owner Steve Tisch: Take a seat. NYDailyNews - Giants revamped unit puts 'D' in title defense during opening win. NYDailyNews - Brandon Jacobs & run game steamroll Redskins in win. NYDailyNews - Plaxico Burress signs five-year deal with Giants. NYDailyNews - Live Blog - Opening Night. Newsday - Defending champ Giants top 'Skins with defense. Newsday - As usual, Jacobs has big impact. Newsday - Carney kicks three field goals in Giants debut. Newsday - Manning, not Favre, is No. 1 in town. Newsday - Position switch no problem for Kiwanuka. NYPost - Giants begin title defense by holding off 'Skins. NYPost - Just the facts: No stopping Plax. NYPost - Too soon to judge what the season holds. NYPost - Newcomer Carney kicks it old school. TheRecord - Manning's vanilla, but he'll last. TheRecord - Giants defense helps the team hang on. Game 1 Preview
- Giants
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