Mar 10 One day after the Giants' doctors expressed concern over quarterback Jim Sorgi's shoulder, the team decided to sign him anyway. Sorgi, who spent the last six years as Peyton Manning's backup in Indianapolis, will now be Eli Manning's backup in New York. "I thought my workout was excellent and my shoulder felt great," Sorgi said in a statement released by the Giants. "I just need to continue to work on maintenance with it, but I want to be a player the Giants can count on to get the job done if need be."
Jim Sorgi's agent didn't expect a deal on Monday but was hopeful it would come soon. It did. On Tuesday, Sorgi got his contract. The Giants signed Sorgi, 29, to a one-year deal after their doctors conversed with some other physicians who have examined Sorgi's shoulder. Obviously, they got the answers they were looking for and the ones Sorgi's agent said he was hoping to provide.
The signing of Sorgi comes a day after it was reported free agent David Carr has agreed to terms with the San Francisco 49ers. Carr had been Eli Manning's backup for the last two seasons. Rhett Bomar, who spent 16 weeks on the practice squad before being signed to the 53-man roster just prior to the '09 season finale, is the only other quarterback currently on the Giants roster.

NFC East News
Philadelphia - The Eagles decided to pay the $1.5 million roster bonus to quarterback Mike Vick on Monday, as he was not traded or released by the 4 p.m. EST deadline. Vick believes he can be a starting quarterback again after not having been one since 2006
Washington - Mike Shanahan made much news. He confirmed that the Redskins would tender Jason Campbell(notes), and they reported did make him a first-round tender on March 3, the day before the quarterback could have become an unrestricted free agent. Shanahan also confirmed reports that the Redskins will use the 3-4 as their primary defensive scheme for the first time..
Dallas - WR Roy Williams is a problem for the fans and the media, but he is not a problem for the Cowboys despite his $45 million contract and minimal production. Owner Jerry Jones said he doesn't envision Williams not starting next season. "No. No. A big no," Jones said. "I'm optimistic about Roy Williams."

Mar 9 Defensive tackle Fred Robbins, a Giant the past six years, has signed with the Rams, ESPN was first to report. The report says the deal could be worth up to $12 million over three years. Robbins joins safeties James Butler and Craig Dahl as players who reunited with former Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo in St. Louis.

Jim Sorgi will not be doing for the Giants what he did with the Colts: back up a Manning at quarterback. Sorgi paid a visit to the team yesterday, but after taking a physical the Giants expressed reservations over a problem with Sorgi's right shoulder -- tendinitis in the shoulder landed him on injured reserve at the end of last season. Sorgi left without a contract offer, although his agent, Matt Brei, said Sorgi's health should not be a concern.

Mar 8 David Carr, the former No. 1 overall pick of the Texans who spent the past two seasons as Eli Manning's backup, agreed to terms on an undisclosed contract with San Francisco, according to his agent, Mike Sullivan. Carr will now compete with another former top pick - Alex Smith - for the Niners' starting quarterback job.
The Giants are looking for a potential replacement for David Carr, who met with the 49ers this weekend and appeared headed to San Francisco. Former Colts quarterback Jim Sorgi has scheduled a visit with the Giants Monday, according to someone informed of the meeting. The person requested anonymity because the team doesn't comment on workouts.
Sorgi has backed up Peyton Manning since 2004, though because of Peyton's durability he never started a game. The Giants are also expected to pursue veteran quarterbacks Jeff Garcia and Mark Brunell, who was the Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback from 1995-2002 under then-coach Tom Coughlin.

In the coming weeks and next few months the Giants must find a linebacker worthy of stepping into the starting lineup. Be it in free agency or in the NFL Draft, someone to plug the center must arrive or else the Giants are destined for a bagel-like existence: empty in the middle. With the 15th pick in the first round the Giants could get a player able to step right in, though they would have to trade up to nab Alabama's Rolando McClain. A safer option is to find someone in free agency and that someone certainly could be Kirk Morrison.

Ben Roethlisberger may lead Eli Manning 2-1 in Super Bowl rings, but the argument is forever closed whether the Giants would have been better off with Big Ben. At the very least, Roethlisberger is an immature knucklehead who puts himself in bad situations and continually humiliates the Steelers, one of the NFL's cornerstone franchises.

Mar 7 It didn't take long for Antrel Rolle to make his first big play for his new team. Just hours after becoming one of the highest-paid safeties in NFL history, the newest Giant didn't duck from expectations. In fact, he vowed that he and Kenny Phillips would team up to become the most dynamic safety tandem in the league.
"The best in the league, hands down, without a doubt," Rolle said yesterday. "I know what we're capable of and I know as a unit what ability we have to get things done. It's up to us to establish that relationship and that chemistry to make sure we're on the same page."

On a conference call with reporters Saturday, Antrel Rolle agreed his performance on a Sunday night victory over the Giants last year was a big factor in the team's interest in him as a free agent. "I think that played a big part in why I'm here," said Rolle
When Tom Coughlin greeted Antrel Rolle on Friday morning, the first thing he said was, "Forget about this defense stuff, I want to talk to you about the Wildcat." The comment dates back to what the former Arizona Cardinal safety referred to Saturday as a "job interview," the game between the Giants and Cardinals last October at Giants Stadium. Rolle threw a pass out of the Wildcat formation for Arizona in the Cards 24-17 win.
Antrel Rolle conference call Saturday morning: Rolle on Rolle. Coughlin on Rolle

Before we put this Antrel Rolle signing to bed, there's a small matter of bookkeeping I want to double back on. It's regarding the widespread reports Rolle is now the highest-paid safety in the NFL. That sentence sounds real nice. Unfortunately, it's inaccurate. And it's unfair to Troy Polamalu and Bob Sanders as well as to the Giants that phrase is being thrown around.
The addition of an athletic player with coverage and playmaking skills doesn't fill all the cracks in a shattered unit, but it's a heck of a start. Antrel Rolle visited the Giants' training complex, met with team officials, took a physical then waited as his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, hammered out a five-year, $37 million deal -- one of the biggest ever for a safety -- including $15 million in guaranteed money.

Defensive tackle Fred Robbins played a key role in the New York Giants' run to the Super Bowl during the 2007 season. Now the Rams are about to find out if the 10-year NFL veteran has anything left in the tank. Team sources told the Post-Dispatch on Saturday evening that the Rams were "very close" to finalizing a deal that would bring Robbins to St. Louis as an unrestricted free agent. If all goes as expected, Robbins will arrive in St. Louis on Sunday to sign a contract. Robbins had a modest two sacks this past season, but blocked three extra points and had five deflected passes. He was relegated to backup duty over the final third of a season.

Earlier Saturday, David Carr's agent told reporters he's still talking to the 49ers despite the fact his client left the team's facility. A lot of times, that's the kind of agent speak thrown around to make it seem teams are more interested than they actually are. In this case, however, the sides are talking. And it could quickly result in a deal.
All-Pro linebacker Patrick Willis questioned the 49ers' interest in Carr with several pointed comments on his Twitter account. In one post, Willis wrote: "I'm saying if we going to go get another qb spend money on a difference maker. Like (Michael Vick). My opinion." In another: "We have 3 qb's that are better then him. That's a waste of his time."

Mar 6 For the second straight year, the Giants made a big, opening-weekend splash in the NFL's free-agent pool, this time by signing Pro Bowl safety Antrel Rolle. The 27-year-old Rolle, who was released by the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday, signed a five-year, $37 million contract Friday night after a day-long visit with Giants officials in the New Jersey area.
The 27-year-old Rolle's contract is one of the top deals ever for a safety, with the guaranteed portion of his contract coming in behind the contracts for Bob Sanders ($20 million), Adrian Wilson ($18.5 million) and Troy Polamalu ($15.375 million). "I had five great years with the Cardinals organization," Rolle said in the Giants' press release. "But I felt it was time for a change."
The Giants liked what they saw from Rolle on Oct. 25. He had an interception off Eli Manning to wrap up the Cardinals' 24-17 victory. In addition, Rolle also took a snap as a Wildcat quarterback. He's not big (6-foot, 208 pounds) but is extremely athletic and supposedly can throw the ball 90 yards. The Cardinals want to keep Rolle but they wouldn't give him the $8 million per year that they're paying their other safety, Adrian Wilson.

The rumor leading up to free agency was that Giants free agent quarterback David Carr would draw interest from the Cardinals. Well, Arizona is certainly in play, but Carr will be headed elsewhere for his first visit. The former No. 1 overall pick, a Bakersfield, Calif. native, will fly to San Francisco to meet with the 49ers this weekend, according to someone informed of his travel plans.

NFC News
The dollars were flying furiously yesterday as the Bears lavished defensive end Julius Peppers with $40 million in guaranteed money, the Dolphins made Karlos Dansby the league's third-highest-paid linebacker with $22 million guaranteed, and the Ravens prepared to reward wide receiver Anquan Boldin after landing him in a trade with the Cardinals.

Mar 5 The Giants got a jump on the free-agent market Thursday night and appeared poised to open their vault for Pro Bowl safety Antrel Rolle. Rolle, 27, is reportedly scheduled to visit the Giants this morning, one day after he was released by the Cardinals.
The Pro Bowl safety yesterday was released by the Cardinals -- no big surprise, because he was due a $4 million bonus and an $8.1 million salary and they were unwilling to pay him in excess of $12 million for this season. The demand and price will be high for a 27-year old former first-round pick (eighth overall in 2005) with 12 career interceptions and four touchdown returns.
On his website Rolle wrote, "I can see myself playing anywhere in the defensive backfield for a new team. I don't consider myself just a safety now since I switched over from cornerback. I can play all over, return punts, play some on offense. I really just consider myself an athlete more than a position player."

The Giants confirmed what has already been reported, that they tendered one-year contracts to nine of their 11 restricted free agents: DT Barry Cofield, WR Domenik Hixon, DE Dave Tollefson, WR Sinorice Moss, LB Gerris Wilkinson, WR Derek Hagan, OL Guy Whimper, OL Kevin Boothe and S C.C. Brown.

NFC East News
Washington - The word out of Football News Now last night was that former Carolina Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers has found the team he wants to play for this coming season: the Washington Redskins.
Philadelphia - If the Eagles decide to keep Donovan McNabb as their quarterback instead of promoting Kevin Kolb, it is because they believe McNabb would give them their best chance of winning the Super Bowl in the 2010 season.
Dallas - The Cowboys' free-agent signings during the Parcells era were noteworthy for their failures. The misses, ranging from running backs Richie Anderson and Anthony Thomas to offensive tackle Ryan Young to kicker Mike Vanderjagt, overwhelmed the few hits.

Mar 4 Giants backup quarterback David Carr will draw interest from the Cardinals when free agency opens, according to a report. The 30-year-old Carr admitted recently he fell out of love with football after a disastrous experience with the Texans, who drafted him No. 1 overall in 2002. It wasn't until Carr arrived in East Rutherford two years ago that his passion for the game was rekindled. Carr has enjoyed his time with the Giants so much that he wouldn't mind coming back for a third season.

The Giants last year in free agency appeared to hit the lottery, collecting four veterans to bolster a defense that headed into training camp seemingly loaded at every position. But none of the four imports panned out -- injuries did in Chris Canty, Michael Boley, Rocky Bernard, and C.C. Brown -- and the defense crumbled. The signing period begins at midnight tonight and the teams that strike quickly will be deemed big winners, even though history indicates that's often not the case. As an intriguing twist there's no salary cap for the first time since 1993 and how that affects the marketplace is anyone's guess.
On some levels the Giants might be inclined to make a huge play for Julius Peppers. He's a 6-7, 283-pound physical specimen who despite turning 30 in January has shown no signs of slowing down. On WFAN it was stated that the Giants are gearing up for a quick-strike seven-year offer to Peppers in excess of $100 million. When informed of that claim, a source with knowledge of the Giants free agency plans said "There is nothing to it."

The Giants are preaching fiscal sanity again, just like they did last year on the eve of free agency - before they tried to dump $80 million in Albert Haynesworth's lap. So, with the market set to open at midnight tonight, do they have another surprise in store? Publicly they haven't ruled anything out - including a run at top free agents such as linebacker Karlos Dansby and defensive end Julius Peppers. But privately, team sources say: Don't count on it. Not in this watered-down free agent market.
This team has a few holes that need filling and could use depth in certain key spots. A look at the Giants' positions of need and a guess as to which free agents could be on their radar: Safety - The Giants have one player at this position they can rely upon – and they can’t even rely upon him. That player, of course, is Kenny Phillips. If healthy, he’s a multi-Pro Bowl selection in the making. But that’s a big "if," and even general manager Jerry Reese said, "I don’t think you can put all your eggs in Kenny’s basket right now" as he recovers from microfracture surgery on an arthritic knee.

Mar 3 When John Mara was seething over the Giants' 2009 season, he vowed not to "leave any stone unturned" to fix his franchise. But even in the absence of a salary cap, that doesn't mean he plans to start throwing his money around.

The no-risk move of offering safety C.C. Brown a restricted free agent tender will have many fans scratching their heads. Brown, in many ways the symbol of the Giants' terrible defensive showing this past season, will be paid $1.226 million if he signs and sticks on the roster.

NFL News
The Pro Bowl will be played before the Super Bowl when it returns to Honolulu next year. The Hawaii Tourism Authority and the NFL announced Tuesday that the game will be at Aloha Stadium on Jan. 30, the Sunday before the Super Bowl in Arlington, Texas.

Mar 1 If a new collective bargaining agreement isn't reached by the time the free- agency period starts Friday, a lot of teams will be feeling around in the dark over the next few months while trying to improve their roster. GM Jerry Reese and Giants coach Tom Coughlin have numerous holes to fill after last year's 8-8 disappointment, most glaringly on an awful defense that nearly set the franchise record by allowing 427 points.
In addition to teams being permitted to spend as much or as little as they’d like, there will be a few other rule changes affecting free agency. The biggest one is the change in status of 206 players with four and five years’ experience who would have been unrestricted free agents. Those players will now be restricted free agents, meaning teams can retain the rights to such players by extending them one-year contract tenders.

Feb 28 General Manager Jerry Reese says the team is prepared to spend in free agency. Certainly, the team will do that partly through the draft. But Reese indicated he would like to rely on free agency and potentially some trades to alleviate some issues before then - even though some of the players who would have been unrestricted free agents will instead be restricted once there’s no extension to the collective bargaining agreement.
The Giants' starting offensive line, which has been together as currently constructed since 2007, could be shuffled soon, according to general manager Jerry Reese. If William Beatty beats out David Diehl for the left-tackle spot, that will allow Diehl to slide to either left guard (in place of Rich Seubert) or right tackle, where he started in 2004 and where some believe he’ll be most comfortable. And Reese left the door open to a possible addition from the outside.

Jerry Reese said the Giants will pursue all avenues as they try to improve on their 8-8 record in 2009. At the same time, it's clear he expects to step forward with superior performances from players who were injured or inexperienced last season. One that Reese was queried about several times is Chris Canty, the defensive linemen who was expected to be one of the Giants' significant free agent acquisitions last year.
One former defensive stalwart who will not play in a Giants uniform this year is Antonio Pierce. The team's middle linebacker for five seasons, and defensive captain for three, Pierce was released earlier this month. He missed the final seven games of the 2009 season with a bulging disc in his neck. Coughlin, however, said the Pierce transaction was not made because of the injury.

Feb 27 Osi Umenyiora wants a guarantee from the Giants he'll be a starter again. Tom Coughlin doesn’t have any for him. "I don’t know how you do that," the Giants' coach said Friday during his press conference at the scouting combine. "Our field is the field, and competition is good. It's like we tell everybody: go earn it."
Coughlin said he was not worried about the dispute with Umenyiora becoming a repeat of Jeremy Shockey's ugly departure from the Giants in 2008. "Osi wants to be a part of our team," Coughlin said. At the same time, Coughlin said he lectured Umenyiora during their meeting about going to the media to air his grievances. "He should come in and talk to me," Coughlin said.
Coughlin said during his remarks at the NFL scouting combine that he expects running backs Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw to be able to carry the load after each endured an injury-plagued season. Jacobs underwent surgery on a torn meniscus in his right knee while Bradshaw is expected to be fine for team workouts this offseason after repairing stress fractures in both feet.
On whether Coughlin thinks his RBs can get through a full season: "There's great concern from the standpoint of the surgical procedures that have been done. Again, everything is stated to us as being on schedule. I think you go all the way back to Andre Brown, he's on schedule, too. Hopefully, they're going to be (healthy); they're going to have to be. Danny Ware's improvement is going to have to be as well."

Kevin Dockery was invited to the Giants' 2006 rookie camp on a tryout basis, a long shot to ever play a down in the NFL. Nearly two years later, he was tightly covering Patriots receivers in Super Bowl XLII. And now, after four seasons in East Rutherford, Dockery will soon be an ex-Giant.

Feb 26 Osi Umenyiora wanted a meeting with Giants brass to discuss his future and decide whether he wants to remain with the team. Umenyiora got his meeting, but might need at least one more because he has yet to make the decision on his future.

The Giants are in the process of making tender offers to their restricted free agents and should be able to keep all of the 11 players in that category if they so desire. Of course, they won't want to bring back all of them, but offering tenders is a no-risk move that at least ensures they will be able to match any offer and receive compensation if the player signs elsewhere.

NFL News
Another round of labor talks between the NFL and its players union ended in pursed lips and grim faces here yesterday -- and no signs of progress. Commissioner Roger Goodell and NFL Players Association chief DeMaurice Smith met along with their advisors and several players at an Indianapolis hotel for nearly two hours, but a source said neither side budged.

Feb 25 Defensive end Dave Tollefson, one of the Giants’ 11 restricted free agents, has received a second-round tender offer from the team, according to his agent. That offer guarantees the 27-year-old a one-year salary of $1.684 million if he chooses to sign the offer.
The intent to tender Tollefson shows the Giants clearly want him around, so they have to be careful with this decision. The watered-down free-agent market could make the Bay Area native Tollefson more attractive to a few teams.

Despite a disappointing first four seasons as a Giant, linebacker Gerris Wilkinson has received a tender from the team, according to his agent, Kenny Zuckerman. Wilkinson has played 46 games with the Giants while battling through injuries to his knee, quadriceps and wrist.

Even with the expected return of Kenny Phillips, the Giants have some issues at safety, a position that played a huge part in last season’s disastrous showing by the defense. It looks as if ball-hawking safety Darren Sharper is set to become an unrestricted free agent, and there’s every reason for the Giants to be interested.

DT Jay Alford estimates that his strength and conditioning are currently "75-80 percent" of their pre-injury levels and will continue to improve throughout the offseason. Alford's return would give the Giants another big and talented player on the defensive line. Last year, he was expected to be a vital player on what many said was the NFL's deepest line. But his injury was the first and most severe of many that plagued the defensive front all season.

Feb 24 Special Report - Around the league and around the team, rumblings always signal news not quite yet breaking. For instance: The Carolina Panthers are going to let defensive end Julius Peppers walk off into the sunset, meaning that on March 5 he will be eligible to sign with any of the other 31 teams.

Kenny Phillips is still at least a month away from attempting to run, but the star-in-waiting Giants safety says his rehabilitation from a serious knee injury is going smoothly, and that he's targeted the Organized Team Activity practices in May for his return. "I feel real good, everything feels strong, so I should be all-in by OTA's," Phillips said in an interview on the team's Web site.

The Giants were reportedly scheduled to work out former Cowboys kicker Nick Folk, who was also to meet with the Jets. Tuesday, ESPN reported Folk has signed with the Jets. The report also says his workout with the Giants has occurred.

Feb 23 Tom Coughlin added a familiar name to his staff with the hiring of Kevin Gilbride, Jr. to serve as the Giants new offensive quality control coach. Gilbride is the son of offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride, Sr. and replaces Sean Ryan, who was promoted to the role of receivers coach. The father said he tried to dissuade his son from getting into the profession.
Depending on the team, the coaching staff and the quality control coach's experience, he can have some input in game plans and such. Hardcore Giants fans will remember how Steve Spagnuolo often credited Andre Curtis for his input in the defensive game plans. And when Spagnuolo left for St. Louis, he took Curtis with him as defensive backs coach.

He's St. Eli to St. Vincent's. Giants quarterback Eli Manning -- who has already raked in hundreds of thousands of dollars doing publicity for the Greenwich Village hospital -- has agreed to forgo future paychecks because of its fiscal straits, his spokesman said yesterday. "When Eli learned that the hospital was in financial difficulties, he released them from the contract . . . from the monetary agreement," said the spokesman for sports-marketing firm IMG.

Nearly fifty tri-athletes that are part of the Timex family, and proudly represent the Timex brand visited the Timex Performance Center over the weekend and got to see how a NFL player trains throughout the year. The type of fitness required for running a triathlon and playing in a NFL game is very different. Tri-athletes need to focus on endurance so they can survive the most grueling race in sports.

Feb 21 Friday morning at the Giants’ practice complex, the weight room was filled with offensive linemen, defensive linemen, running back Brandon Jacobs -- and, in quite the physical contrast, 50 triathletes and marathon runners.

The release of Antonio Pierce leaves the Giants without a proven or experienced middle linebacker, but if they want to pursue Karlos Dansby they are going to have to go against their long-standing track record of steering clear of the most expensive players.

Giants defensive tackle Barry Cofield is one of the players around the league whose status in free agency depends on whether or not a new CBA is finalized before March 5. Cofield said there has been "a little talk" between the Giants and his agent, in which the team "pretty much made it clear" he would be tendered in an uncapped year.

Feb 19 After the team released Antonio Pierce last week, Jonathan Goff and Chase Blackburn are the two middle linebackers on the roster. But the Giants could look externally via the draft, a trade or free agency. Goff said he has not spoken to Pierce since his release but knows he will miss his leadership and experience and was "lucky to be around a player like him."
Chase Blackburn is the Giants' sixth-year linebacker from the University of Akron. He was relatively unknown when he joined the team as a rookie free agent a month before training camp began in 2005. "Everybody told me I could make the team on special teams. In college, I played special teams throughout my career as well as defense. They told me, 'If you can be a first string punt guy there is a chance you're going to make the team.' Punting is the most important special team. They said just work your way on special teams, learn the defense, and run to the ball on every play and make sure they see you're running, and hustling."

The Giants have been looking at kickers to push Lawrence Tynes since early last season and recently added one in Sam Swank. Apparently, they're not done looking. Former Cowboys kicker Nick Folk is on his way to the area for a tryout with the Giants and Jets, according to a report on ProFootballTalk.com. Folk, 25, was cut by the Cowboys last December after missing a 24-yard field goal in a victory over the Saints he could have made much easier by making the kick.

Feb 18 The Giants’ offensive line, a unit that since 2007 has been among the best in the league, appears to be nearing a breakup as the starting five of tackles Kareem McKenzie and David Diehl, guards Chris Snee and Rich Seubert, and center Shaun O’Hara might have played their last game together as a unit.

NFC East News
The Eagles, who signed Vick last August after he spent almost two years in federal prison for running a dogfighting ring, have an option on Vick for 2010. But that option comes with a $5 million price tag. That’s a lot of money for a Wildcat weapon, especially one who no longer is interested in three or four touches a game.
Cowboys - After last year’s breakthrough campaign, the biggest question for Miles Austin is, can he do it again? He won’t be a surprise in 2010. Teams know about him and will scheme to stop him. So what will he do for an encore, considering how crucial he is to the Cowboys’ success? He says he is not satisfied and wants more than just to make the Pro Bowl.
Redskins - Bill Romanowski believes that Mike Shanahan and Bruce Allen are the right team to return the Redskins to the championship form they last enjoyed in 1991 when they won their third Super Bowl in 10 years. Washington has won three playoff games in the 18 ensuing seasons. "Mark my words when I say the Super Bowl is coming back to Washington," he said. "Trust me. And it won't take long."

Feb 13 The Giants stayed in house in naming their new quarterbacks coach to replace the departed Chris Palmer. That man is Mike Sullivan, who has been the team's wide receivers coach for the past six seasons but will now work with Eli Manning and the rest of the team's passers.
The Giants' wide receivers have enjoyed tremendous success under Sullivan. In 2009, Steve Smith led the NFC and was second in the NFL with a Giants-record 107 receptions, 25 more than the franchise's previous single-season mark (Amani Toomer had 82 in 2002). Smith was the first Giant to stand alone at the top of the NFC since tight end Bob Tucker led the NFC with 59 catches in 1971. He was the first Giants wide receiver to play in the Pro Bowl since Homer Jones in 1968.
Sean Ryan, who had been the Giants offensive quality control coach, will replace Sullivan as wide receivers coach. "Sean has made outstanding progress as a young coach," Coughlin said of Ryan, who four years ago was coaching the running backs at Harvard. "Last spring, when Mike Sullivan was working with a very young receiving corps, Sean was very instrumental in working with that group as well. In truth, in training camp and all through the fall, when Sean has worked with a group on the field, it has been with wide receivers."

Now the issue: Who replaces Pierce's leadership in the locker room and who replaces him on the field? Justin Tuck, an All-Pro two years ago who played with a torn shoulder for the last 14 games, is the most qualified Giant to step up and take a more vocal role. The defensive end is a bright guy and an excellent player who needs to realize the defense now belongs to him.

The Giants have a sparkling new training facility at the Meadowlands available for them all year round, but it looks increasingly likely that they’re not going to abandon their upstate New York summer home. Giants officials met with officials from the University at Albany last week and are “working toward a return” to Albany for their annual summer training camp, according to a Giants spokesman. The negotiations are ongoing, but it is starting to appear likely the team will return there for a 15th consecutive year.

Feb 12 After five seasons, a Super Bowl championship, a tumultuous 2008 season, an air horn in the locker room, a serious neck injury and plenty of other ups and downs as an outspoken defensive captain, Antonio Pierce's time with the Giants is over. The team has released its middle linebacker, Pierce confirmed Thursday afternoon. As for contingency plans, the Giants don't appear to have many right now. Both Chase Blackburn and Jonathan Goff struggled in the final few weeks of the season. The Cardinals' Karlos Dansby could be available via free agency. The team could also use it's first-round pick (No. 15 overall) on a linebacker or trade up to get one.
Antonio Pierce, 31, missed the last seven games of the 2009 season with a bulging disc in his neck, an injury that possibly puts a cloud over the remainder of his playing career. He was scheduled to make $4.75 million entering the final year of his contract and, even with an uncapped season looming, that figure was too much of an investment in a player who probably has already played his best football..
His play may have diminished in recent years, but it won't be easy to replace him. "When we brought him in here we were interested in AP for all of the dimensions he brought to the table, (such as) his leadership qualities (and) his natural charismatic ability to rally the troops," Coughlin said. "He's a very smart football player. He demonstrated great leadership. He has worn that Giant uniform very, very proudly."
Pierce, meanwhile, indicated he would like to continue his career with another team. “I have nothing to look back on and wish I had done it differently,” he said. “Now it’s time to look forward at the possibilities that I have.” “Antonio Pierce is a free agent and there is great interest in signing him now that he’s healthy,” agent Drew Rosenhaus said via his Twitter account.
Pierce led the Giants with 159 tackles in 2006 (when he became the first Giants linebacker to play in the Pro Bowl since Jessie Armstead in 2001), 116 in 2007 and 113 in 2008. He was at the forefront again before the bulging disc was discovered two days prior to the Giants' Nov. 22 victory over Atlanta. Beyond the numbers, he was the heart and brains of the defense, an emotional, inspirational leader whose meticulous study of the next opponent enabled him to correctly position teammates before the snap and often predict which play was coming.

Feb 11 While the Giants wait to start their next season in the new $1.6 billion stadium, the old one is expected to be completely gone by July. A lifelong Giants fan, Brian Moran said he looks forward to the amenities the new stadium will have to offer. "The new one, it holds more," he said. "More people can see the games. Everything's upgraded--including the beer." At the old stadium, Moran said that countless fans were puzzled by why it was that even on a freezing cold day in January the beer was always lukewarm. The reason, he said, was the vendors had heaters they kept by their feet and that kept the beer from staying cold.

The Giants took the first step toward restoring the pride of Big Blue by replacing overmatched defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan with the fiery Perry Fewell. That was a mere appetizer. Peppers would complete the meal. Imagine a younger Michael Strahan getting after Tony Romo and Donovan McNabb. Peppers, who is 30 years old, is coming off a 10 1/2-sack season. If Umenyiora, 28, decides he'd love to play for Fewell, if he doesn't demand a trade and is willing to play for $3 million, there would be no need for Peppers. If Umenyiora thinks he can get a big-money contract elsewhere, then the Giants have to make a play for Peppers.

Feb 9 Kenny Phillips is ahead of schedule in rehab from knee surgery, and looking to be 'let loose' next season. In his rookie season, if the coaches wanted him to cover the left half of the field, he had to stay in the left half of the field. If they wanted him 2 yards outside the numbers, he had to be 6 feet, zero inches outside the numbers. If they wanted him 13 yards off the ball at the snap, he had better not have entertained thoughts of playing 7 yards deeper, where he often likes to line up. All the while, Phillips would smile while he told safeties coach David Merritt, "Just let me loose."

In some ways, the task the Giants face to make next year's Super Bowl in Dallas is a lot less arduous than the one the Jets face, no matter how much buzz is associated with the green team now, no matter how many expectations the Jets might be saddled with. The Jets have to deal with the Patriots in their division. In their conference, they have the Colts, who are still good for 12 wins a year, and they have the Chargers, who are good for just about that many.

The Giants have have been awarded offensive tackle Herb Taylor off waivers from Denver. The Giants announced the move on Monday, a day after the Super Bowl. Taylor was originally a sixth-round draft choice by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2007.

Stadium News
Jonathan Tisch, the Giants' treasurer, and Jets owner Woody Johnson are the co-chairmen of the committee seeking to bring Super Bowl XLVIII to the New Meadowlands Stadium in 2014. The stadium will become the new home for both teams this year. With a seating capacity of 82,500, the stadium will be the third-largest in the National Football League.

Feb 8 Super Bowl News - They toasted Drew Brees, Jeremy Shockey and Tracy Porter far into the morning on Bourbon Street for their fourth-quarter heroics in New Orleans’ historic 31-17 Super Bowl XLIV win over Indianapolis on Sunday night in Sun Life Stadium.
Peyton Manning had been locked inside a spirited shootout with Drew Brees, the adopted community leader of Peyton’s place, as if they were fighting for the heart of New Orleans. Everyone knew the first quarterback to blink was going to lose the duel.

Former Giants
Jeremy Shockey scores for Saints, wins ring with New Orleans - Two years after he was reduced to being an unhappy spectator while his teammates won a championship, the former Giant not only got to play, but he caught the go-ahead touchdown pass in Super Bowl XLIV.
Jeremy Shockey let out the mighty roar with 5:42 remaining last night in Super Bowl XLIV. He hauled in a 2-yard touchdown pass from Drew Brees that put his Saints ahead 22-17. The Saints never trailed again and went on to upset the Colts 31-17 at Sun Life Stadium.
Jeremy Shockey scored a touchdown against the Colts during the fourth quarter. "I've probably run that route 100 times in my career and I've probably only caught a couple of touchdowns off it," Shockey said afterward. "But one is in the Super Bowl."
Plaxico Burress vowed Sunday that he will play in the NFL again - and said holding his newborn daughter was like playing in the Super Bowl. The former Giants superstar said "it will be like I never left" in a jailhouse interview, two years after his game-winning catch in Super Bowl XLII.

Feb 7 So you want to know what Sean Payton and Jim Caldwell will feel on the first day of the rest of their lives? You want to know what awaits two former Super Bowl assistants who wake up as head coaches in charge of winning the biggest event in American sports? An old Bill Parcells aide named Tom Coughlin will fill you in. He was on the phone Saturday afternoon, his voice and blood pressure rising as he relived the frantic moments before Super Bowl XLII, when he was about to add Plaxico Burress to the inactive list before trying to beat an unbeatable team.

Tom Coughlin was a tough and demanding coach of the expansion Jaguars. He instilled discipline and insisted that players adhere to his rules. Mark Brunell liked the structure, but he wasn't afraid to question the coach's methods at times. Brunell is now the backup to New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees. On Sunday, the 17-year veteran will suit up for his first Super Bowl when the Saints meet the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV in Sun Life Stadium. Brunell credits Coughlin for helping him succeed and survive in the NFL for so long.

Former Giants
Michael Strahan's loyalty still lies with the Giants. To wit, this week the lifetime Big Blue star referred to New York as the "greatest city in the world" and Giants fans as the "greatest fans in the world." Strahan, though, is on the Saints bandwagon today, admitting that he'll be pulling for Drew Brees and company tonight in the Super Bowl.
Plaxico Burress' illegal gunplay cost him his job and his freedom. Now it's costing him his castle. The former Giant wide receiver was slapped with a foreclosure notice on his Florida estate on Jan. 26, according to Broward County court records. He owes more than $250,000 to creditors American Home Mortgage Investment and Deutsche Bank National Trust, records show.

Stadium News
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell favors Jets, Giants new Meadowlands home as site of 2014 Super Bowl. The vote comes May 24-26 in Dallas. The lobbying starts now. There is really just one concern for a Super Bowl on Broadway: The weather, obviously.

NFL News
Hall of Fame calls Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith - Here’s how you stop Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith: Put them in the Hall of Fame and watch them break down and cry. The men who tore apart NFL defenses couldn’t handle the emotions Saturday when they were elected to the shrine along with five others.

Feb 6 Brandon Jacobs says next time he'll opt for surgery on an injury that can be repaired. The Giants' running back underwent surgery last month to repair a partially torn meniscus that hampered him all season. Looking back, he realizes he should have had the injury repaired after it occurred in the opener against the Redskins. "I would’ve got it done Week 1, missed four or five weeks and came back and played," Jacobs said. While trying to tough it out, the end result was his least effective season since becoming a starter in 2007. Jacobs rushed for 835 yards on 224 carries for an average of 3.7 yards per attemp.
The good news, Jacobs said, is that he didn't do any permanent damage by continuing to play and he said his knee "is not going to be a lingering issue." He said he's "in no rush to run or do anything" and wouldn't divulge the timetable for his recovery. "We just got to let it heal," he said. Health, though, has been an issue for Jacobs' entire career, which is why one of his biggest goals heading into last season was to play in all 16 games. He obviously tried, but his performance suffered. And he couldn't have been happy that he let his latest injury linger so wrong that it ruined his entire year.

Jonathan and Steve Tisch believe new Meadowlands stadium is reasonable site for Super Bowl XLVIII. The NFL waived the "50-degree rule" to allow a cold-weather stadium without a roof to bid for the game. As for whether the elements will affect the events surrounding the game, Tisch doesn't believe that will be a factor. After all, it'll be no more of a factor than it's been for cold-weather cities with domes that have hosted the game.
Mara and Jets owner Woody Johnson could have made this a non-issue if they built a retractable roof on the $1.6 billion Meadowlands stadium, but they stubbornly ignored all the potential benefits. Then again, very little in the NFL isn’t orchestrated, so maybe the owners were told the open-air stadium wouldn’t be a factor. It shouldn’t be. For XLIV years now, the NFL has insisted that its biggest game be played only under the fairest conditions or in a dome, when the sport itself is at its best when the air is cold and the field is slick..

Feb 5 Osi Umenyiora says he wants to know his future with team by March. "I thought last year was just BS. If they don't feel I can be part of the starting 11, that I'm not good enough to be a starter, then I'm 100 percent sure other people are going to feel that I can be a starter for them."
A day after Osi Umenyiora said during a radio interview that he will retire rather than endure another season coming off the bench (See above WFAN link), the still-disgruntled Giants defensive end stressed in even stronger terms that he wants out if things remain the same.
"I think obviously I believe I can help the New York Giants win. I love the team. I love the organization, there's no question about that. And I'd much rather be in New York than anywhere else on planet Earth. "But just sitting down on the bench, coming in on third downs, I can't help them win at all. I'm not able to make an impact. I just won't be able to do that for a whole season."
Umenyiora, who led the Giants in sacks with seven, was relegated to a part-time player for the final five games. He said he has not talked to coach Tom Coughlin about the situation but plans to sit down with his agent, Tony Agnone, Coughlin and general manager Jerry Reese in the near future."

For the Giants quarterback Eli Manning, who was promoting the new Gatorade G Series at the Super Bowl XLIV media center, there is no question he will be rooting for his brother Peyton and the Colts in the Super Bowl, even if the Saints were his hometown team growing up.
"I keep up with the Saints a little bit, and a lot of my friends are big Saints fans. But for this game, it’s a no-brainer: I'll be rooting for Peyton and the Colts." That's not to say Manning doesn't understand what a victory - he predicted a 31-24 Colts win - would mean to New Orleans.
When Eli Manning watched his big brother win the family's first Super Bowl three years ago, he admitted to having mixed feelings. He was happy for his brother, but bothered that he wasn't the one in the spotlight. Now, as Peyton Manning gets ready to go after his second Super Bowl championship, Eli's mixed feelings haven't changed.

Former Giants
Sean Payton is the latest branch of the Parcells coaching tree to lead a team to the Super Bowl, joining Bill Belichick of New England and Tom Coughlin of the New York Giants. "There's only a handful of Hall of Fame coaches," Payton said. "To have three years with Bill meant a lot to me. It wasn't always fun, but it was important."
Sean Payton was always motivated to become an NFL head coach. "You knew he was passionate about it," Steve Devine, now a Giants scout, told the Daily News. "The thing everyone talks about with great leaders is they have to have great passion.
Phil Simms is certain he would not be playing a prominent role in Super Bowl XLIV if he hadn't won a championship with the Giants 23 years ago. Simms was almost flawless in leading the Giants to victory in Super Bowl XXI. He completed 22 of 25 passes - including all 10 of his throws in the second half - for 268 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in a 39-20 rout of the Denver Broncos.

Stadium News
Goodbye, Giants Stadium. Wrecking crews arrived Thursday to start tearing down the East Rutherford, N.J., home of the Giants and Jets just 33 years after its debut.

Feb 4 Osi Umenyiora hasn't demanded a trade and only said in late December a few things needed to change before he could agree to return to the Giants. One of those things was his desire to be a starter again. Wednesday, in an interview on WFAN with Joe Benigno and Evan Roberts, Umenyiora said he'd rather retire than be a situational player once again. "I'm not going to be a back up player, I can promise you that," Umenyiora said. (See above WFAN link).
Osi Umenyiora wants to continue his career with the Giants, but if he doesn't get his starting job back he's going to just quit. In the midst of "the worst offseason of my entire life" that's what the unhappy defensive end said earlier Wednesday during an interview on WFAN. He's still not happy that he was removed from the starting lineup after the Giants' Thanksgiving night loss in Denver, and he said he has no interest in that ever happening again.
Anyone who seriously believes Umenyiora is willing to walk away from a $3.1 million contract hasn’t met him. The disgruntled defensive end, coming off knee surgery that cost him the entire 2008 season, clashed almost immediately with first-year defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan -- one time walking out of a team meeting.

Former Giants
Jeremy Shockey hopeful Plaxico will play again - As Shockey prepares for Super Bowl XLIV with his new team, the Saints tight end today said he hopes his former teammate with the Giants, Plaxico Burress, can resume his playing career once he completes his jail term. "It's something I would like to see," Shockey said.
Jeremy Shockey wants to set the record straight. "Everyone made it out to be, 'Jeremy was unhappy about his team winning, Jeremy was unhappy about the success the team was having without him,'" Shockey said during the Saints' interview session today. "And that's the complete opposite (of the truth).

Feb 3 Jerome Bettis, who was Bill Cowher's running back from 1996 through the Steelers' Super Bowl season in 2005, said recently he believes Cowher is holding out for the Giants' job that currently belongs to Tom Coughlin and is waiting for that spot to open before returning to the NFL as a coach. Tuesday, during a press conference for CBS in advance of the network's televising Super Bowl XLIV this Sunday, Cowher said Bettis was simply throwing darts with his comments.

Former Giants
Plaxico Burress has vowed "I will play again" in his first interview since being imprisoned for accidentally shooting himself in the leg in a Manhattan nightclub. Burress also told CBS' "NFL Today" that he "personally" apologized to the owners of the Giants for the bone-headed November 2008 fumble with the unlicensed handgun, which ended the wide receiver’s stellar Big Blue career and put his future in the NFL in peril.
Plaxico Burress was interviewed last week by Bill Cowher, the former Steelers coach, for a piece that will air during CBS’ Super Bowl XLIV pregame show and said he saw true remorse from the wide receiver who’s currently serving a two-year sentence after accepting a plea deal on a gun-possession charge.
Jeremy Shockey, with cast and crutches, watched the Giants beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl two years ago from the private box of co-owner Steve Tisch. He wasn't at the Canyon of Heroes parade or the ring ceremony and claims he was never extended an invitation to the White House celebration. Shockey's Giants career ended six months after Super Bowl XLVII when he was traded to the Saints, eliminating the Giants' biggest distraction. Shockey was a pain for them to deal with that offseason and he made it very clear he wanted out.
Jeremy Shockey, who is preparing to play in the Super Bowl with the Saints, doesn't regret any of the stupid human tricks that compelled the Giants to dump an in-his-prime, four-time Pro Bowler without even securing a first-round draft choice in return. Out of uniform, raging as if his quarterback had just spent a few hours ignoring him, Jeremy Shockey marched into John Mara's office and made his most demonstrative play as a Giant. "I want to be traded," the tight end barked.

Feb 2 Special Report - Capless 2010 season would help Giants.
Commissioner Roger Goodell has said that an uncapped season in 2010 is virtually certain, which means the league and the NFL Players Association will not have reached agreement on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement by March 5, the agreed upon deadline. So without a salary cap, some teams are going to be spending wildly. This will not apply, however, to those teams who finished in the final eight, meaning they advanced in the playoffs. Good or bad, the Giants didn't make the Final Eight, so they will have few if any restrictions on spending in regard to free agents.

NFL News
Just because Vince Lombardi might have said, "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing," doesn't make it so. For starters, Lombardi never lost anything in New Orleans -- not even a game. But Archie Manning did -- over and over, just about every way imaginable, nearly 100 times while wearing the fleur-de-lis of the Saints for 10 of his 13 NFL seasons.
It is the cruelest of ironies that as the Saints close in on deliverance after 43 years of martyrdom, the one man standing in their way is the greatest football player the Crescent City has ever produced. "We don't have royalty in America but the Mannings of New Orleans are kind of like the Kennedys of Massachusetts," said Bobby Hebert, former Saints quarterback and current radio personality. "But I tell you what, come Sunday, there's going to be a revolution. There will be anarchy. There will be hatin' on Peyton." Reluctantly, of course. But hey.

Feb 1 David Diehl likes to play every snap, but really wasn’t counting on doing that in Sunday night’s Pro Bowl. But once Minnesota’s Bryant McKinnie was kicked off the squad for missing practices, Diehl found he and the Eagles Jason Peters were in for a long night. They each had to play the whole game at the two NFC offensive tackle spots since they were the only NFC offensive tackles left.
Chris Johnson scored the game-winning touchdown for the AFC in a 41-34 victory in Sunday night's Pro Bowl, he ensured his teammates would receive $45,000 each as part of the winners’ share. The NFC players each received $22,500 - even if some of them wanted David Diehl to get a little bit more. "I'm gonna petition for you to get the full forty-five," Cowboys cornerback Terence Newman told Diehl on the way off the field at Sun Life Stadium. "You deserve it."
Diehl was joined by three Giants teammates on the NFC team: Shaun O'Hara, who started at center; Chris Snee, a reserve at guard; and wide receiver Steve Smith, who caught just one pass - a 48-yarder in the first quarter from Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers for the first NFC touchdown.

NFL News
The NFL sought to transform the Pro Bowl into a bigger game by playing it before the Super Bowl for the first time. In a one-year experiment, the league also moved the game from Honolulu, its home since 1980. The game will return to Honolulu in 2011 and 2012, but the league hasn't decided whether to hold those games before or after the Super Bowl. The Pro Bowl site for 2013 and beyond hasn't been determined.

Jan 31 After suffering through their worst defensive season since 1966, they need to rebuild that unit. Assuming they don't bring back Antonio Pierce, a middle linebacker will be their biggest priority. They also need a safety, not knowing if Kenny Phillips (knee) will ever be the same. They could also use a pass-rushing defensive tackle, especially if Barry Cofield turns out to be a free agent.

Former Giants
John Carney says he’s fortunate to be part of Saints’ Super Bowl run as kicker, coach. Perhaps an NFL club will give John Carney(notes) a chance to kick field goals again next season, when he'll be 46. Morten Andersen(notes) lasted that long, as Carney pointed out when he re-signed with the New Orleans Saints in August. For now, though, Carney will have to make the best of his second Super Bowl in a coaching role. Officially, he's the Saints' kicking consultant, and he can live with that.

NFL News
The NFL is trying to transform the Pro Bowl into a bigger game by playing it before the Super Bowl for the first time. The league also moved the game from Honolulu, its home since 1980. One result: the best attendance in 51 years, with a sellout crowd of more than 70,000 expected. But some players said they preferred the more exotic setting of Honolulu for the game.

Jan 30 When Chris Palmer was hired to coach the Giants quarterbacks in 2007, the franchise wasn't sure what it had in Eli Manning. He was an erratic young player with unfulfilled potential. Three years later, Manning is a Super Bowl-winning, Pro Bowl quarterback. And now he's on his own.
The Giants announced Friday Palmer has decided to "retire," which seemingly ended a 38-year coaching career that included stints as the Browns' head coach and the Texans' offensive coordinator. But MSG is reporting Palmer, 60, will soon accept a job as the head coach of the UFL's Sentinels, meaning "retirement" isn't exactly a true description of what's going on here.
Palmer came to the Giants after spending the 2006 season as the Dallas Cowboys' quarterbacks coach. Under Palmer's direction, Romo enjoyed a meteoric rise from a player who had not thrown a regular season pass in almost 3 years with the Cowboys to a Pro Bowler.

With Chris Palmer "retired" the Giants will have to find a new quarterbacks coach. Here's a list of possible candidates for quarterbacks coach.

The Giants briefly used the franchise tag on running back Brandon Jacobs last year before signing him to a long-term deal. The team is not expected to use the tag this year. The franchise tag is an average of the top five salaries at a position for the 2009 season. The transition tag is an average of the top 10. Example forr this upcoming season - Cornerback: $9.566 million (franchise), $8.056 million (transition).

Former Giants
Kurt Warner thanked God, hugged his children and wife and said goodbye to an NFL career that seems the stuff of sports fiction. The 38-year-old quarterback announced his retirement Friday after a dozen years in a league that at first rejected him, then revered him as he came from nowhere to lead the lowly St. Louis Rams to two Super Bowls.

Jan 29 Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell undecided on whether he'll be on sideline for games. Fewell said he and Coughlin haven’t discussed the issue (though we know where Coughlin stands on it) and is still evaluating personnel. Once he gets a better feel for the players, he’ll know which location will be better for him. But Fewell, who is an emotional guy during games, did suggest it’s easier to think and make decisions from up top.
Part of the reason Fewell was brought in was to supply some of that emotion Sheridan lacked, all the more reason Coughlin may want him to stay on the sideline. "I can't speak to that," Fewell said. "I am who I am. I coach how I coach." And this is the kind of defense he likes to coach.
Perry Fewell, the new Giants defensive coordinator, did not commit to anything today on a conference call but it sure sounds as if he views unhappy defensive end Osi Umenyiora as a starter and full-time player. "I can't speak to what happened a year ago," Fewell said. "When I look at Osi I see a football player and when you have a football player obviously you want that player to be on the field all the time."
The man charged with improving the performance of the Giants defense said today the unit does not require a major overhaul. "I think I have some talent here," Perry Fewell said. "I think the strength, as I look at it right now, the strength of our football team looks like our defensive front. If we can stay healthy in the secondary, as well as at linebacker, I think we have talent."
Asked if he had any input in the hiring of coach Nunn he replied. "I had some input. He was recommended. We did some research through coach Coughlin and myself. So I was able to make contact with him, help set up the interview, etc."

Jan 28 Two weeks ago, the Giants gave the task of repairing their defense to new defensive coordinator Perry Fewell. The team is hoping Wednesday’s hire -- new defensive line coach Robert Nunn -- will help revive its once-dominant pass rush. Nunn has been an assistant in the NFL for the past 10 years and was the Buccaneers’ defensive line coach this season. He replaces Mike Waufle, who was fired earlier this month.
Nunn has been coaching in the NFL since 2000 with the Dolphins, Redskins, Packers and Bucs. Before that he spent eight years as the head coach and athletic director at Georgia Military College. Fewell, in the statement, said Nunn “comes highly recommended from some of the other coaches throughout the league. He’s coached in championship games; he was the D-line coach for Green Bay when the Giants played the Packers in the NFC Championship Game.
Nunn, a 22-year coaching veteran who has spent the last 10 seasons in the NFL, was a defensive line coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2009. "We're very excited to have Robert Nunn join our football staff," Fewell said. "He comes highly recommended from some of the other coaches throughout the league. He's coached in championship games; he was the D-line coach for Green Bay when the Giants played the Packers in the NFC Championship Game. He has worked with a number of excellent players - Jason Taylor, Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, Bruce Smith - and he has 10 years of experience.

Jan 27 Perry Fewell has "a lot of confidence" in the defensive coaches he inherited when he joined the Giants, so the team's new defensive coordinator doesn't plan any changes to his staff.
Fewell, who is being held back from the rest of the media until Thursday, didn’t reveal much else during his Sirius interview. He promised an "aggressive" defense, but said it won’t necessarily be the Tampa 2 scheme he ran in Buffalo.
A transcript of the rest of Fewell's interview: On joining the Giants: "Absolutely awesome. First class organization. Spirit of cooperation and a winning attitude."
Fewell spent the past four years running the Bills defense and, after Dick Jauron was fired in November, took over as interim head coach for the last seven games (going 3-4). He takes over a Giants defense that performed at a historically bad level, allowing 40 or more points five times.

Jan 26 Steve Smith will hop a red-eye flight Monday night from his home state of California to Miami, where he'll become the first Giants representative to play in the Pro Bowl as a receiver since 1968 -- when Homer Jones made his second appearance. "We're happy I made it," Smith said on a conference call with reporters Monday afternoon. "But we're disappointed in how the season ended. You can't enjoy individual goals like you want to when your team didn’t do as well."
When asked about working with Eli Manning in the offseason and the effect it had on his season. Smith replied, "Yeah, I think it was a big help because we were there working together trying to get on the same page, just learning more about it each other so we could play faster this year."

Guard Chris Snee and tackle David Diehl will replace Jahari Evans and Jonathan Stinchcomb of New Orleans, who will not play in the Pro Bowl because the Saints advanced to Super Bowl XXIV with their victory over Minnesota in the NFC Championship Game. The Giants' two linemen will join center Shaun O'Hara and wide receiver Steve Smith on the NFC team. O'Hara was voted to the squad as a reserve, but will now start because Dallas' Andre Gurode pulled out of the game with an injury. Smith, who set a Giants record with 107 receptions this season, was a first alternate who was added to the team when Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald dropped out with an injury.

Will Beatty had his hands full during his late-season stint as a starter. In the home finale vs. Carolina, Julius Peppers, one of the NFC Pro Bowl starters at defensive end, frequently lined up against him as the Panthers' coaches tried to exploit the matchup against the inexperienced Beatty. The next week he got a taste of the other Pro Bowl starter, Minnesota's Jared Allen, who led the conference in 2009 with 14.5 sacks. Having to block great players in consecutive games accelerated Beatty's development at tackle.

Jan 25 Following the Colts' 30-17 victory over the Jets in Sunday's AFC Championship Game, Peyton Manning was joined in the locker room by his brother, Eli, who spoke briefly to reporters but tried to stay out of the spotlight. "He played outstanding, just like he's done all year. There's a reason why he's the MVP, and he played awesome," Eli said.

NFL News
Colts 30 Jets 17 - The last time the Jets came within a game of the Super Bowl, they ran into John Elway in Denver and Elway pulled away from them in the second half of the AFC Championship Game and he went to the Super Bowl. This time it was Peyton Manning in Indianapolis.
It took a while, as it always does against a complex defense. But Manning and offensive coordinator Tom Moore figured it out, and then it was just a matter of time. More Here.
Saints 31 Vikings 28 - Forty-three years of heartbreak, misery and shame came to an end last night when the once-hapless Saints withstood Brett Favre's best punch and beat the Minnesota Vikings.
The Vikings were unhappy with the officiating after losing in overtime to the New Orleans Saints 31-28 in the NFC Championship Game at the Superdome..
Here's a look at what the New Orleans Saints players were tweeting after their NFC championship victory Sunday at the Superdome: Jeremy Shockey: Playing on 1 leg sux ... I'll get better soon ... wish I could help our team more but I'll be great in 2 weeks. More Here.

Jan 23 Maybe Bill Cowher really is waiting for the Giants head coaching job to open up before he returns to the NFL. But if he is, you can be sure that Jerome Bettis doesn't know it. "I haven't talked to Jerome Bettis in two years," Cowher said. "I'll leave it at that." Asked if if he knew of any reason Bettis might have for saying something like that, Cowher stuck by his one and only statement, saying "I think that answers your question."

John Mara does not like the look of the landscape after the latest round of negotiations for a new NFL collective bargaining agreement. "I am very disappointed in the lack of progress in these meetings," Mara said. "I, for one, believe that the upcoming 2010 season will be the first one played since 1993 without a salary cap." An uncapped year would significantly alter how the NFL does business. Fourth and fifth-year players such as Barry Cofield, a four-year starter, will be restricted free agents and not have the right to total free agency that other players with the same number of years in the league previously have enjoyed. There also will be no minimum team payroll for the first time in many years, which means that teams can reduce costs in that fashion.

While the Giants continue to search for a new defensive line coach, their old one is headed back to a familiar spot. Mike Waufle has been hired as the Raiders' defensive line coach, ESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting. Waufle was the Raiders' line coach from 1998-2003 before joining the Giants. The Giants will eventually make a hire to replace Waufle, though no names of candidates have leaked out yet. New defensive coordinator Perry Fewell, who will likely address the media for the first time next week, has been at his job for only three days now.

Former Giants
Jim Fassel denied on Wednesday that the Raiders had reached out to him to interview for the team's head-coaching position. Fassel, now the coach of the UFL's Las Vegas Locos, said on Sirius/XM's Mad Dog Radio he hasn't pursued the Raiders' coaching job. "No. Because, I mean, Tom Cable's the coach," Fassel said. "He is the coach there and that'll answer part of the question you asked me before. I think if a coach is in place you don't start calling somebody and seeing if the job is open or not." Fassel's son, John, is the Raiders' special teams coordinator.

Jan 21 Special Report - How’s this for weird irony? David Diehl, the Giants' left tackle, and Chris Snee, the right guard, have been added to the Pro Bowl roster and will join previously named center Shaun O’Hara. ... This means the Giants will have 60 percent of their offensive line in the game, to be played this year the Sunday BEFORE the Super Bowl. ... Not bad for a team that didn’t even make the playoffs.

After all the panic about the Giants receiving corps last summer, it turns out they had a Pro Bowler on their side all along. Steve Smith, fresh off arguably the finest season by any Giants receiver in history, is now the first Giants receiver on the Pro Bowl team in 41 years. Originally a first alternate, the third-year pro learned he was being added to the NFC squad Tuesday night when Arizona receiver Larry Fitzgerald withdrew with an injury.

NFC East News
Eagles players like Kolb over McNabb? Folks are saying that the Philadelphia Eagles will be making an off-season decision to trade one of two quarterbacks, long-time starter Donovan McNabb or Kevin Kolb.
Cowboys' Phillips to return, may get extension. Wade Phillips will coach the Dallas Cowboys in 2010 and possibly longer, owner Jerry Jones told ESPNews on Tuesday. Jones said the team is committed to exercising the option in Phillips' contract for the 2010 season. He also suggested that negotiations are under way for an extension to keep Phillips with the team in 2011.
Redskins fans this fall were as angry as local observers could remember. They demanded change. And for whatever reason, no matter how late the hour, some signs of change have arrived. Fans wanted a general manager, and they got one in December.

Jan 20 Former Giants assistant coach Bill Sheridan has been hired as the Miami Dolphins' inside linebackers coach. Sheridan was fired two weeks ago as the Giants' defensive coordinator. In Miami he replaces George Edwards, who left after five seasons to become the Florida Gators' defensive coordinator.

The Giants continued to add bodies for the upcoming season Tuesday by signing tight end Carson Butler to a reserve/future contract.
Carson Butler spent time with four different NFL teams during the 2009 season.

Jan 17 Some of Perry Fewell’s former players from his four-year stint as the Bills’ coordinator believe he’ll be successful. They say the Giants can expect a coach with outstanding knowledge of the game, a willingness to adapt and mix up schemes, and the ability to build true connections with his players -- correcting their mistakes or celebrating their successes with equal zeal.
Here is a warning for the Giants now that Perry Fewell is running the defense: You do something dumb, watch out. "If you get out there and consistently make mistakes, he's going to blow up," Bills safety George Wilson told The Post. "He doesn't like repetitive mistakes. He doesn't like silly mistakes. Hitting a guy out of bounds and getting a penalty. I saw that happen in one of our games this year -- he just went berserk. .

Another bad season may force New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin out of his job. Last week, we mentioned how Giants co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch are going to be faced with making a tough call on Coughlin if he doesn't get things turned around next season. They have an awful lot of loyalty to him after he won the Super Bowl two years ago. After the '10 season, however, Coughlin will have one year left on his contract and the Giants traditionally either extend their coach or fire him at that point in their deal.

NFL News
New Orleans has played host to Super Bowls, Final Fours, heavyweight title fights and the NBA All-Star Game. But never in its long, proud sports history has it hosted an NFC championship game with a chance to send the New Orleans Saints to the Super Bowl. It will next week, thanks to the club's innervating 45-14 rout of the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday in the Superdome.
Indianapolis 20 - Baltimore 3. For a month, they played it safe, nearly too safe, calling off the dogs in the second half of that fateful loss to the New York Jets. They not only risked the loss of all their momentum, but they risked incurring the wrath of fans still stung by The Decision. Lose this one, and it wasn't going to be pretty.

Jan 16 The Giants’ firing of defensive line coach Mike Waufle was baffling to many and appeared to be an attempt by the team to isolate Waufle as a major reason for the defense’s struggles – especially since, more than a week later, every other defensive position coach remains employed. But the team’s quick trigger might have been due to Waufle’s pushing the issue.

Tom Coughlin is clear in what his expectations are from Perry Fewell!, the Giants' new defensive coordinator. "I expect Perry to bring the same qualities that I expect from myself," said Coughlin. "I want him to be firm, fair, honest and demanding. My expectation is that he will solidify and unify our defense and be an outstanding teacher. I want energy, enthusiasm, toughness and to make the necessary corrections and game adjustments. Perry is a teacher and a leader and I thought he did an outstanding job of displaying great leadership as the interim head coach of Buffalo this season."

David Carr just finished his second season as the Giants' backup quarterback. A former star at Fresno State, Carr was the first overall selection of the 2002 NFL Draft and the first-ever choice of the expansion Houston Texans. David Carr just finished his second season as the Giants' backup quarterback. A former star at Fresno State, Carr was the first overall selection of the 2002 NFL Draft and the first-ever choice of the expansion Houston Texans.

Jan 15 The Giants interviewed only one defensive coordinator candidate in person. It was a candidate who seemed destined to head back to the Bears. And in fact, there was a report Perry Fewell was on his way to Chicago. Instead, the Giants got the man they seemed to have targeted from the jump - a former assistant coach on Tom Coughlin's staff in Jacksonville. And now, 10 days after firing Bill Sheridan, the team has a new defensive coordinator.
Fewell was Tom Coughlin's first choice; he was the first person contacted and the only candidate to come in for a formal interview, although Coughlin also touched base with more prominent former coordinators and head coaches Romeo Crennel and Jim Haslett. Both were hired elsewhere; Crennel to run the Chiefs defense, Haslett to do the same with the Redskins.
"I am ecstatic to come to work for the New York Giants," said Fewell, who prefers the 4-3 setup the Giants personnel best fits. "It's a good football team with good defensive players, and it is a franchise known for defense." Not last season, however. The Giants gave up 427 points in 2009, second highest single-season total in team history. That led to the firing of first-year coordinator Bill Sheridan. Fewell was the first and only outside candidate Coughlin actually interviewed, although feelers were put out to several others.
In the last two seasons, Fewell's Bills' defense allowed only 14 touchdown passes - or 17 fewer than the Giants gave up this season alone. In 2009, the Bills were fifth in the league with 33 takeaways, including 28 interceptions (second in the league). Fewell, who ran the Tampa 2 defense in Buffalo, described his approach as "Disciplined, attacking, aggressive, 11 hats to the football."

Isn't it great how the NFL works? Here we are sitting around, trying to figure out if and when Perry Fewell will sign on as Giants defensive coordinator. Meanwhile, Jerome Bettis is already looking at who the next head coach of the team will be. The retired running back said Thursday in an interview with Sirius/XM's "Mad Dog Unleashed" show with Chris Russo he believes his former coach, Bill Cowher, has his eye on the Giants' job that currently belongs to Tom Coughlin.
Bettis added that he believes that Cowher "is going to be with the Giants" eventually - possibly as soon as next year. "He would have definitely gotten the job (after the 2007 season, if the Giants hadn't gone on a run)," Bettis said. "And if Coughlin doesn't get that team back in the right direction next year I think they'll pull the plug."

Stadium News
Sale of memorabilia from Giants Stadium - The goal post will be auctioned off, as will items such as swaths of turf from either end zone bearing the teams' logos. Pieces of turf can be had for as little as $29.99, while a pair of seats will cost $499.99. The new stadium will host its first event, a college lacrosse tripleheader, in April with only the lower bowl accessible, according to Mark Lamping, chief executive of New Meadowlands Stadium, the corporation formed by the Giants and Jets. A Bon Jovi concert in late May will officially open the stadium.

Jan 13 Add another name to the list of candidates for the Giants' defensive coordinator job now headed elsewhere. Jim Haslett, the former coach of the Rams and Saints who spent last season with the United Football League as the head coach of the Florida Tuskers, has agreed to join Mike Shanahan in Washington as the Redskins' defensive coordinator, according to someone informed of the talks between Haslett and the team.
When asked if the Giants were still in play, a person familiar with Romeo Crennel's thinking said they'd only be considered a fallback option for Crennel at this point. Meanwhile, there's no word on Perry Fewell's situation. The former Bills coordinator met with the Bears Monday after interviewing with the Giants last week. He left Chicago without an offer and was to discuss the situation with his wife before deciding which job to pursue.

Romeo Crennel put the Giants on hold Tuesday as he attempts to work out details on a deal with the Kansas City Chiefs. Crennel is "giving K.C. the first shot," his agent, Joe Linta, said Tuesday afternoon. One reason was because of the demanding nature of Tom Coughlin and the long hours he requires of all his assistant coaches.
Does anybody want to run the Giants defense? It sure seems as if filling the position of defensive coordinator is becoming more difficult than it should be. If the Giants want to reach out to Jets linebackers coach Bob Sutton they have a one-week window to do so, or they must wait until the Jets are eliminated. A Jets source yesterday said the Giants have not made any inquiries about Sutton. Meanwhile, fired defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan wasn't out of work long. He signed yesterday to become the linebackers coach for the Dolphins. Sheridan had been the Giants linebackers coach for four years before his ill-fated promotion.

Former Giants
Visanthe Shiancoe has finally and firmly established himself as the bona fide receiving threat and is one of Brett Favre's favorite targets as the Vikings take on the red-hot Cowboys on Sunday in an NFC divisional playoff game inside the Metrodome.
David Tyree, Willie Gault and Tim Dwight are scheduled to run the "Super 60" during the storied indoor track meet's 103rd edition Jan. 29. The New Jersey native ran track at Syracuse before he made his game-saving catch against his helmet for the Giants in their 2008 Super Bowl victory over the Patriots.

Jan 12 One-time Giants assistant and former Browns head coach Romeo Crennel will not be the new Giants defensive coordinator. Crennel has been hired to run the Chiefs defense. Former Bills head coach Perry Fewell, once Coughlin's defensive backs coach with the Jaguars, met last Thursday with Coughlin with the understanding he was in the running for the Bears defensive coordinator job.
Crennel’s agent, Joe Linta, said his client is still speaking with other teams and was scheduled to chat with Tom Coughlin either Monday night or Tuesday morning. At the very least, an official announcement on Crennel’s near future is still pending, as nothing has been made official.
The Giants are waiting to find out whether Crennel will accept an interview with the Giants, or whether he really is - - as reported elsewhere - - headed to the Kansas City Chiefs. And if Crennel goes to the Chiefs and Fewell goes to the Bears? Well, that explains why the Giants just reached out to Haslett. There are likely other candidates as well.

NFC East News
Eagles coach Andy Reid squelched speculation about Donovan McNabb’s future, saying the five-time Pro Bowl quarterback will be back next season. "That's my call," Reid said Monday. "I think he's a great player. His work over the last 11 years has proven that. I truly believe it's a team sport; it's not one guy."
Redskins new head coach Mike Shanahan said positive things about quarterback Jason Campbell, whom Snyder and former front office boss Vinny Cerrato tried to replace last offseason with Jay Cutler, a player Shanahan had drafted for the Broncos.
Cowboys confusing defences by using variety of runners, receivers. The Cowboys' overall total of 399.4 yards per game was second to New Orleans, which also happened to be the only other team among the top 10 in both passing and rushing.

Jan 11 It wasn't exactly George Steinbrenner apologizing to fans after the Yankees were eliminated by the Dodgers in Game 6 of the 1981 World Series, but John Mara's steely soliloquy on Monday, when he ripped a gaping hole in his Giants, was brilliant on a couple of levels. Mara's critique, for the most part, killed further media autopsies on the Giants, Tom Coughlin and Jerry Reese.

NFL News
New England Patriots lose to Baltimore Ravens, 33-14 -- "They played better from start to finish, it's a disappointing way to end the season." Bill Belichick said, pursing his lips and barely looking up from the microphone throughout his postgame press conference.
Arizona Cardinals win over Green Bay Packers 51-45 -- Karlos Dansby's 17-yard fumble return for a touchdown in overtime gave the Arizona Cardinals a 51-45 victory on Sunday over the Green Bay Packers in the highest-scoring playoff game in NFL history.

Jan 10 Giants have options for deciding head coach Tom Coughlin's future . If Coughlin hadn't won the Super Bowl two years ago, what happened this year was a fireable offense. John Mara was not going to fire Coughlin, and shouldn't have, but when he said last week, "I'm disappointed in everything. I'm unhappy at everybody," that certainly included Coughlin, who went from pushing every right button during the Super Bowl run to having no feel for this team and no clue how to fix things when everything started to unravel.

The other day John Mara sounded like his old man when his old man was just as furious with the way the Giants quit on Fassel. "Probably as disappointed as I've ever been in my life with this team," He said, "given the expectations that we had this year, given the roster I thought we had and given the way we started out and given the embarrassment of the last two games."

In the final two weeks, the Giants lost by a combined score of 85-16. Really, when you think about it, it was a pretty appropriate end to what quickly disintegrated into a miserable year. With that said, here’s a look back at the good, the bad, and the ugly from the 2009 season, along with a little glimpse at some of the things the Giants will be thinking about over the next few months as they try to retool in time for 2010.

NFL News
Cowboys end long playoff skid with dominating 34-14 win over Eagles.
Eagles have decisions to make after 34-14 playoff loss to Cowboys.
Jets win playoff opener, 24-14, over Bengals.
Jets take flight toward greatness.

Jan 8 Romeo Crennel, the former Giants assistant and director of New England's Super Bowl-winning defenses, is interested in becoming the Giants' next defensive coordinator. And the Giants are very interested in him. Someone from the Giants has already spoken to the 62-year-old Crennel, and they have made plans to speak again on Monday when he returns from vacation, according to a source familiar with the team's plans. Crennel's agent, Joe Linta, confirmed that conversation and added that Crennel "is interested" in the job.
It appears Tom Coughlin wants to speak with several candidates before filling the Giants' vacant defensive coordinator job. First up yesterday was Perry Fewell, most recently the Bills' interim head coach and the defensive coordinator in Buffalo for four years. Coming next week could be Romeo Crennel, a former Giants' assistant under Bill Parcells, former Patriots' assistant under Bill Belichick and former Browns' head coach. The Giants are interested in meeting with Crennel, who returns Monday from vacation. The Chiefs are also interested in having Crennel run their defense.
Crennel always has been a 3-4 coach. If he cannot adjust to the 4-3 scheme, that would bring up a huge question: How can a Giants team with barely one linebacker suddenly discover four? It would take some major maneuvering, such as Mathias Kiwanuka to weak-side outside linebacker and Clint Sintim to weak-side inside ’backer, just to field a team. Chris Canty would be the only one to prosper immediately by moving back to his 3-4 defensive end spot. There really would be no spot for Osi Umenyiora, except possibly in pass-rush situations. In other news, Sheridan will interview in Miami for the linebackers job.

Dick Jauron - Coughlin's first defensive coordinator in Jacksonville in 1995 - is also a candidate for the Giants job. Former Giants linebacker Pepper Johnson definitely is interested in returning to run the defense after working under Belichick for 10 years with the Patriots, the past six as defensive line coach. The Giants have expressed some interest in Johnson and his hiring would surely energize many former Giants players. He's considered a long-shot and cannot be interviewed until after the Patriots are eliminated from the playoffs.

If you're happy with what the Giants did in their last two drafts, this won't be good news for you: Marc Ross, the team's director of college scouting, will interview for the Seattle Seahawks' vacant general manager job, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on his Twitter account.

Former Giants
Plaxico Burress is still paying for his coverup. Prison officials refused Thursday to release him early, saying he should have called cops after accidentally shooting himself with an illegal handgun. The ex-Super Bowl hero made a request for work release just a few months into his two-year sentence - but he'll have to wait until July to reapply.

Jan 7 The Giants could have blamed the drop-off in their pass rush this past season on Justin Tuck’s shoulder, Jay Alford’s knee, Chris Canty’s hamstring and calf, Osi Umenyiora’s issues with Tom Coughlin and whatever caused Fred Robbins’ production to drop off drastically. Instead, they blamed Mike Waufle.
Defensive line coach Mike Waufle’s firing is a surprise because he was a player favorite and a former Marine with the work ethic Coughlin admires. He has also received plenty of public endorsements over the past couple of seasons from players like Michael Strahan, Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora - all of whom praised Waufle's teaching techniques.
Defensive ends Michael Strahan, Tuck and Umenyiora were Pro Bowl selections in Waufle's six seasons with the Giants, with the three each having at least nine sacks in the 2007 season. "I am extremely saddened by it," Umenyiora said of Waufle's dismissal in an e-mail to The Associated Press. "He is a great coach and we have a special relationship. I'm sure he will be OK though because there should be very high demand for a coach of his caliber."
And while there's no word yet on the other defensive assistants - linebackers coach Jim Herrmann, cornerbacks coach Peter Giunta and safeties coach Dave Merritt - it doesn't appear as if any of them are very safe. Herrmann was brought in by Sheridan. And the other two could be in jeopardy if the new defensive coordinator wants to hire his own staff.

Of all the rumored candidates for the Giants' defensive coordinator position, two appear to fit the criteria better than the others. One is Perry Fewell, the former Buffalo defensive coordinator and interim head coach, who will interview today for the position vacated by Bill Sheridan. The other is New England defensive line coach Pepper Johnson, the former Giants' linebacker who is busy with the Patriots in the playoffs.
Pepper Johnson, the former Giants linebacker and current Patriots defensive line coach, is not only a possible candidate, he would also be "very interested" in the job, according to two people familiar with his thinking. He has never been a defensive coordinator, but he has won two Super Bowl rings as a player and three as a Patriots assistant.

Bill Sheridan’s biggest downfall was his use of personnel. On more than one occasion, players mentioned communication problems that were occurring on the field, a revelation that when brought to Sheridan surprised him. There was also some of his strategies such as dropping his best pass rushers into coverage on obvious passing downs, and having the safeties play so far out of the picture that often times they were late providing deep help to the corners.

The Giants signed three players to their roster for the 2010 season: defensive back Courtney Brown, fullback Jerome Johnson and kicker Sam Swank. Brown, a 6-1, 205-pound corner/safety, has the most professional experience, having played 17 games with one start for the Dallas Cowboys in 2007 and '08.
Giants sign kicker Sam Swank. The Giants spent a good portion of this past season working out free-agent kickers but never making a move to replace Lawrence Tynes. At some point, it became clear they were putting together a list for a player to sign as they moved toward the 2010 season. That player is Sam Swank, who signed with the team Wednesday, his agent, Glenn Schwartzman, said via e-mail.

NFC East News
Washington - At the podium stood Mike Shanahan, who has a $35 million, five-year contract that gives him final authority over football decisions as head coach and executive vice president of the Washington Redskins. And nowhere on the stage was Snyder, who sat next to his wife Tanya as a member of the audience in the Redskins Park auditorium.
Philadelphia - The Ed Block Foundation is dedicated to promoting awareness and assisting in the prevention of child abuse. That objective is combined with the Foundation’s commitment to celebrating players of inspiration in the NFL. Each year, every NFL team votes for one of its players to receive the Ed Block Courage Award.This year, the Philadelphia Eagles have voted Michael Vick as their recipient of the Courage Award.
Dallas - So far this season, Romo has knocked down perceptions that he is turnover prone (a career-low nine interceptions in a team-record 550 pass attempts), that he can't win a big game (beating then-undefeated New Orleans at the Superdome) and that he can't play well late in the season (nine touchdowns, two interceptions in December). There is another hurdle for Romo and the Cowboys to clear, and that's winning a playoff game.

Jan 6 Former Bills interim coach Perry Fewell, a one-time assistant coach for Tom Coughlin's Jaguars, will interview with the Giants on Thursday, The Associated Press has reported. Fewell, 47, was the defensive backs coach for Coughlin’s Jaguars from 1998-2002 and was most recently the Bills’ interim head coach after the team fired Dick Jauron midway through this past season. Fewell was fired, along with the rest of Buffalo’s coaching staff, on Monday, though the Bills publicly stated he was still a candidate for their head coach position and would soon interview for the job.

The first order of business was dealt with swiftly -- the dismissal of defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan some 24 hours after the final game. Now comes the ponderous task of evaluating the players who contributed to the Giants' 2009 demise, and what needs to be done to ensure it doesn't happen again in 2010. There will be changes, just like after the Super Bowl season of 2007 and the 12-4 season that followed. Just how significant those changes will be remains to be seen.

It's on Eli Manning to seize his team and shake it back into respectability after so much was lost this sorry season. It is not in Manning's nature to step to the forefront and emerge as the loudest voice but he needs to do it, to break through that final threshold, not as a quarterback but as the unquestioned leader. It is extremely difficult and rare to find a player so ingrained in the entire operation that he can cut through the very real offense/defense divide and speak for everyone. There's no more powerful person on the team than Manning.

Giants' report card. The running attack was mediocre at best. The only highlight of the disappointing season was the development of the young wide receivers and their rapport with Eli Manning. Any team that could run the ball would run the ball against the Giants. Any team that could throw the ball would throw the ball against the Giants. Lawrence Tynes missed some makeable field goals early in the season and for a while appeared to be on shaky ground. But he finished 27-of-32. Jeff Feagles continued to punt well, but both kickers were hampered by the Giants’ fear of even mediocre return men. Tom Coughlin tried to stay positive right through the final game. Bill Sheridan’s year as defensive coordinator was a disaster and he paid with his job.

Jan 5 Bill Sheridan was walking around the locker room Monday, shaking hands with the defensive players – not so much as a farewell as a form of thanks for battling through the season. Turns out he should have been saying goodbye. Sheridan was fired Monday after only one season as the Giants' defensive coordinator - a season in which his unit gave up 427 points, the second-most in team history, including games in which the Giants surrendered 31, 48, 40, 31, 45, 41 and 44 points.
John Mara suffered in silence for two weeks as his Giants ended their season in embarrassment. When he finally spoke out Monday, he vowed changes were coming. A few hours later, defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan was gone. That was the first firing, but it may not be the last big change, judging by the angry co-owner's words. He said he was "probably as disappointed as I've ever been in my life at this team" and he questioned its "lack of mental and physical toughness, and quite frankly a lack of effort over the last two weeks."

General manager Jerry Reese had said earlier in the day his team was physical "about 50 percent of the time." He also said he did not sense a lack of effort in the 41-9 loss to Carolina in the Giants' last game at Giants Stadium followed by the 44-7 shellacking Sunday at Minnesota. His boss did not seem as charitable. "There was a lack of mental and physical toughness, and quite frankly lack of effort over the last two weeks," Mara said. "That's just something I never expected to see from this group of players."
Coughlin said earlier in the day that the decision on whether to keep Sheridan, his choice to replace Steve Spagnuolo, would be his. "As I am looking at it right now, it will be my decision," he said. "I will share it with [general manager] Jerry [Reese] and ownership, but it will end up being my decision." Reese said, "We like for Tom to evaluate the coaches... We are involved in the process as well. We like to do things as a unit around here. But we like Coach Coughlin to have his call on the people he would like to bring in on his coaching staff. We will all be a part of that process."

The team’s co-owner put an entire franchise on notice. He sent a sincere, pointed, deliberate message impossible to ignore, and expansive in scope. No player, coach or administrator was spared, and by day’s end, his rant had claimed its first victim with the firing of defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan. It had to be done. After a glimpse of the real John Mara on Monday, Coughlin must know he is on probation again. Whereas the coach never could admit his team quit in the last two games because he’d indict himself in the process, the owner wouldn’t let him off the hook.
Coughlin, Mara and Reese weren't specific about what other changes might be made but here are few suggestions. Special teams coordinator Tom Quinn needs to be replaced. Coughlin was so gun-shy about having opponents return kick-offs that he wound up sacrificing valuable yardage with short pooch kicks. Peter Giunta and Dave Merritt, the two secondary coaches, can go, too, after watching the Giants defensive backs miss tackles and turn receivers lose down the stretch of the season.

Tom Coughlin kept talking about improving the running game and the rushing defense. But when asked how he would do that, the coach merely said his players would just have to execute better. That's not a plan. That's circuitous logic, and a prescription for more of the same. Sheridan is gone. Nobody is complaining. This winter and spring, turnovers will be a good thing when it comes to the Giants. As Bill Parcells liked to say, your record is who you are. The Giants went 3-8 over the last three months. That's who they are. Not Manning-to-Tyree.
So how much time does the greatest Super Bowl upset ever buy a head coach these days? Three seasons? Four? Until he retires? This is an interesting question facing the Giants now. Tom Coughlin will not be fired for an 8-8 season his boss insisted "felt a lot more like 2-14," nor should he be. Co-owner John Mara was furious but not enough to make an abrupt change at the top after one poor finish. Still, this a team that had championship expectations after a 5-0 start, only to finish 3-8 without showing even an ounce of fight in the final two games. That kind of season would cost most head coaches their job in the NFL.

When asked if a healthy Antonio Pierce would remain in the Giants' plans, Reese said only, "That's part of the evaluation. Everybody is in the evaluation process right now. We'll see moving forward." That's hardly a ringing endorsement for a man everyone acknowledges as the leader of the defense. Reese was more committal about unhappy DE Osi Umenyiora, who he said "is still a big part of what we're trying to do here" despite his difficult season. Reese also said he wasn't bothered by Umenyiora's statement that he wants to return to the Giants but only if things change. "That's not unique for a player to say something like that," Reese said. "There will be changes. We'll try to make this thing better."

As he cleaned out his locker at the Meadowlands Monday morning, defensive end Justin Tuck talked about the upcoming surgery on his right shoulder and how the injury affected his season, limiting not only his strength and range of motion, but his confidence as well.Beyond the physical limitations, the injury also prevented Tuck from becoming a much-needed leader. "Because of the injuries this year I didn't feel like I had a right to kind of say some of the things that I wanted to say, because I couldn't practice 100% and I couldn't do the things that I wanted to do to kind of lead this team by example," Tuck said. "For me, personally, it is tough to jump on other guys for what they are doing when I am not able to do it myself."

Jan 4 Giants lose to the Vikings, 44-7    |    Photos

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On The Game: Game 16 Gamegirl "...Look forward to opening day at the new stadium. The players with injuries will have healed and the coaching staff will have everything figured out by then. They may even decide to activate some young talent when necessary and put them on the field even if they don't handle special teams all that well. Danny Ware and Ramses Barden come to mind. See you all in my new seats next year!....." Mikefan.  "..If you thought last week was bad, you shouldn't have tuned in this week. The only reason it might not hurt as much was that it came at the hands of an unbelievably talented and durable Brett Favre quarterbacked team, and the fact that the Giants really had nothing to lose anymore. Coughlin said his team was playing for pride today, but pride was gone quite a while back with one or two other ridiculous losses this team succumbed to this season..."

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ESPN - Favre throws four TDs as Vikings destroy Giants.
Giants.com - Giants fall to Vikings, 44-7.
StarLedger - Tough decisions after 'disrespectful,' 'unacceptable' 44-7 loss to Minnesota Vikings in season finale.
StarLedger - Five Giants scheduled for off-season surgery.
StarLedger - Embattled Giants defensive coordinator gets vote of confidence from DT Barry Cofield.
NYDailyNews - Giants mauled in Minnesota as Brett Favre, Vikings romp, 44-7.
NYDailyNews - Sources tell Daily News that Giants defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan will be fired.
NYPost - Giants destroyed by Vikings, 44-7.
NYPost - Giants' season fizzles out with second-straight rout.
NYPost - Big Blue 'tried'? Doesn't seem true.
NYPost - No coordination doomed Big Blue 'D'.
NYPost - Eli confounded by Giant collapse.
TheRecord - Brett Favre's concerns unwarranted.

NFC East News
Dallas Cowboys win NFC East with 24-0 victory over Philadelphia Eagles.
Washington Redskins finished 4-12 following Sunday's 23-20 loss to the Chargers, regressing from their 8-8 finish in Zorn's first season. Sources say Redskins likely to fire Zorn by Monday.

NFL News
Three rematches of Sunday's games highlight the first round of the NFL playoffs.
NFC PAIRINGS Wild-card weekend Philadelphia (6) at Dallas (3), 7 p.m. Saturday
Green Bay (5) at Arizona (4), 3:40 p.m. Sunday
Divisional round • Jan. 16-17 No. 2 Vikings vs. highest remaining seed No. 1. New Orleans vs. lowest remaining seed
AFC PAIRINGS Wild-card weekend N.Y. Jets (5) at Cincinnati (4), 3:30 p.m. Saturday
Baltimore (6) at New England (3), noon Sunday
Divisional round • Jan. 16-17 No. 2 San Diego vs. highest remaining seed No. 1 Indianapolis vs. lowest remaining seed.

Game 16 Preview - Giants (8-7) vs Vikings (11-4)
The Vikings lost their game to the Bears on Monday night. The Bears were up 23-6 in the third quarter and the Vikings were able to tie it twice before losing in overtime 36-30. Last Sunday the Giants disappointed the fans with their final performance at Giants Stadium. They lost the game to Carolina 41-9. Hopes were high after their victory the week before against the Redskins, but it was not to be.
NFC East. The rest of the NFC East teams play in their final regular season game on Sunday at 4:15 PM. The Eagles (11-4), with the division wrapped up, will play an away game with the Cowboys (10-5). The (4-11) Redskins travel to (12-3) San Diego. The Cowboys are favored to win their game.

Jan 3 Coach Tom Coughlin said it "would not be a very pleasant conversation" if he talked to quarterback Eli Manning, who has played through an injured right foot all season, about sitting this week. With the Giants’ playoffs hopes already extinguished, Manning will play against the Vikings to try to end the season on a high note. He also has a good shot at cracking 4,000 passing yards in a season for the first time in his career, needing 120 more. He has never cared much about statistics but admitted it would be meaningful to help Steve Smith reach 100 catches this year (he needs three more) and rookie Hakeem Nicks get to 50 (he needs four).

The game will mark the Giants’ first look at quarterback Brett Favre since their overtime NFC championship win in Green Bay after the 2007 season. Coach Brad Childress had hoped to rest the ageless passer today, but three losses in their last four games have made this a must-win for the Vikings. They need a victory, plus a Philadelphia loss to Dallas later in the day to secure that second spot. In addition to the late-season stumble, Minnesota has had to endure the speculation of a rift between Childress and Favre based on the coach’s attempt to take his quarterback out of the Carolina game two weeks ago.

It may seem meaningless to everyone else, but Tom Coughlin sees nothing irrelevant about the Giants' season finale. Sure, the Minnesota Vikings will have much more at stake this afternoon, but as far as Coughlin is concerned, his team has something important to play for, too. "I think it's important to say that what we're playing for is just as important to us," Coughlin said. "We need to reestablish who we are, reestablish our own identity, reestablish some pride in the way we perform and the way we play."

The Giants will say their final farewells to their miserable 2009 season Sunday and for some Giants, those farewells will be forever. Some have even already said their final goodbyes. Those decisions won't be official, of course, until Tom Coughlin and GM Jerry Reese sit down in the days, weeks and months ahead to decide everyone's fate. But for many, that fate already seems pretty clear.
Jobs are on the line, with the last chance to make an impression - good or bad - this afternoon before judgment day. "I think everyone knows exactly what is going on, although it is difficult sometimes for an individual to look at himself and be totally objective," Coughlin said. "I think most of the people that are on this team are pretty good at that. And we don't pull any punches when we talk about the pluses, the minuses and that kind of thing. Guys understand, they understand."

In 2004, Fred Robbins signed a contract with the Giants that would take him through this season. Sunday, he will fulfill the final installment of it back where he began his career -- in the Metrodome. "When you have successful years and you go and win the Super Bowl, guys are so anxious to get back," Robbins, the 10th-year veteran defensive tackle who played four seasons with the Vikings, said the other day. "And before you know it, six years passes you by." They’ve been six up-and-down years for Robbins, who arrived as a starter in Tom Coughlin's first year as Giants coach.

Punter Jeff Feagles wants to continue his 22-year NFL career but does not have a contract, and at 43 years old, he realizes this could be his final game. "I don't know what my future is and I want to go out with a great taste in my mouth," Feagles said. "I want to win the football game and I want to do well." Feagles today will become the second player in NFL history to play in four different decades. George Blanda was the first.

Giants defensive end Dave Tollefson is adamant about sticking to his pregame routine. The most important component to it is that his mother, Debi Crocker, absolutely, positively has to be the last person he talks to before leaving the locker room for warmups. The language she uses in these pregame calls is, shall we say, salty. And that's putting it mildly. Debi's message to her son cannot be repeated verbatim here, as this is a family-friendly website. "I will make it so it is rated G for you," Crocker said. "Don't be a wussy out there, Dave. You better kick some butt. You have to play tough, this is tough. This is football, David, you have to be tough."

Stadium News
If you were to predict the future today, the new place has a better chance to be known as Jets Stadium than Giants Stadium. With a rookie quarterback, a rookie head coach and lots of potential, the Jets will be playing their final regular-season game at the Meadowlands tonight, knowing a win over the Bengals will secure a playoff berth. Meanwhile, the Giants will close their season on the road today against the Vikings, trying as head coach Tom Coughlin put it, "to reestablish who we are."
"I would love to have seen [the Giants] have a great game and go out on a high note and have the potential to get into the playoffs," said kicker Jay Feely. "We’re only thinking of one thing and that’s winning and going to Cincinnati next week and beating them again next week [in the playoffs]. The only way we can do that is by winning this week." The first 70,000 fans will receive a white towel with the words "Win And We’re In" printed in green letters."

Jan 2 After the team began the season with major concerns about its receiving corps, Steve Smith is three receptions away from becoming the first player in Giants history with 100 in a season, while Hakeem Nicks needs four catches to finish his rookie campaign with 50, a figure reached in team history only by tight end Jeremy Shockey, who had 74 receptions in his rookie season in 2002. As much as they wish tomorrow's game had playoff implications, both wideouts are hoping Manning makes good on his promise and throws the ball their way.
Tucked within a lost year for the Giants was a laborious NFL indoctrination for Ramses Barden, a statuesque 6-foot-6, 229-pound receiver taken in the third round out of Division I-AA Cal Poly. The Giants labeled him a project, but Barden consistently showed up and caught the ball in his first training camp, raising expectations that in certain specific situations he might be able to get on the field and take advantage of his great height and wingspan. It never happened. He did not excel early on special teams and as he took a seat, Steve Smith emerged as one of the best possession receivers in the league.

Tomorrow's game against the Vikings could be the last go-round for the Giants' offensive line, which already is playing without one established veteran (right tackle Kareem McKenzie) and also might be forced to again go without another (left guard Rich Seubert, listed as questionable with a knee injury). There's a chance both of those players will not be back next season and a very good chance at least one of them will not return, because rookie Will Beatty is waiting to take a starting tackle spot.

Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw suspects his other foot is also fractured. He said he hasn’t gotten official word that is the case, but Bradshaw said he feels the same discomfort he has in his right foot on the left side, so he thinks "“more than likely" he'll find out the same bone has been fractured. Bradshaw has the team’s only two 100-yard games by an individual rusher this season and has picked up an impressive 4.9 yards per carry, while breaking off several of the long runs (nine of 19 or more yards).

The Giants released their final injury report of the regular season Friday and it showed cornerback Corey Webster and right tackle Kareem McKenzie will miss the game against the Vikings. Both players did not practice Friday and were ruled out. Three players were ruled out earlier this week: RB Brandon Jacobs (knee/IR), CB Aaron Ross (hamstring/IR) and DT Chris Canty (knee).

Vikings Antoine Winfield is considered one of the top tackling cornerbacks in the league, but he hasn't looked like one the past two weeks. He doesn't know the exact role he will play Sunday against the Giants, but said Friday that discussions have included everything from having him start to playing only in the nickel or perhaps just on third downs. What Winfield doesn't want to do is continue to feel like he is hurting his team by trying to play on a broken right foot that clearly is not yet healed.

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Jan 1 Running back Brandon Jacobs (knee) and cornerback Aaron Ross (hamstring) were placed on injured reserve yesterday so the Giants could sign two players off their practice squad -- quarterback Rhett Bomar and safety Sha'reff Rashad -- and add them to the active roster. That doesn't mean Bomar and Rashad will play against the Vikings on Sunday, but it does mean the Giants now have the two young players under contract for next season. Once the season ends, practice-squad players are not protected, and any other interested teams could have snatched up Bomar or Rashad.
Brandon Jacobs played in 15 games this season and leads the team with 835 rushing yards. He will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery next week. Aaron Ross missed the first nine games with a hamstring injury, returned to play four games, including one in which he started at safety, and missed the last two games with the same injury.

Considering many of the same players on this defense were much more successful under Steve Spagnuolo the previous two seasons, the finger has been pointed at Sheridan for the past couple of months. And with only three days remaining in the season, there is plenty of speculation Sheridan could be in his final hours as the Giants’ coordinator.

Bill Sheridan isn't worried that he's about to coach his final game as the Giants' defensive coordinator, because he doesn't believe it will be his final game. He "absolutely" believes he'll be back next season.
More likely, he will be dismissed once this season ends following Sunday's game against the Vikings at Mall of America Field. Following the Giants' 5-0 start, Sheridan's defense fell apart, and someone is going to have to answer for that.
Some day next week, he says, he may sit down and go over some of the problems his unit has faced this season. "I'm not sitting here right now thinking a bunch of shoulda, coulda, wouldas," he said. "I'm not in that frame of mind right now. Really, I'm just trying to get ready for Sunday." He doesn't foresee those thoughts greatly changing his direction next season -- if he gets a next season.

Osi Umenyiora believes he's still as good as ever and should be a full-time player in this league. Bill Sheridan, the man who turned him into a part-time player over the last month, surprisingly agreed. "I know in the latter part of the season his reps have fallen off, but it's in no way shape or form a reflection of his ability or his performance," said the Giants' embattled defensive coordinator.

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