Sept 15 Special Report - Jake Ballard is probably the least likely start on the Giants' offense. He was scheduled to have a major fight on his hands just to make the team, just to be the third string tight end. But then Kevin Boss signed with the Oakland Raiders and there went the starter. Then Travis Beckum got himself hurt (again) and missed last week's opener against the Redskins. So who should trot onto the field? Ballard, who is 6-6 and 275 (he almost blushes when he confesses to 280), but his face gets red when it is suggested that he is nothing more than a blocking tight end. "Not so," he says.

Needing to improve their wide receivers, the Giants signed veteran Brandon Stokley. The news was confirmed by Stokley's agent, Rick Smith. Stokley, 35, has played 12 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks. His most productive seasons came with Peyton Manning as his quarterback in Indianapolis. While with the Colts in 2004, Stokley caught 68 passes for 1,077 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Domenik Hixon and Victor Cruz have been auditioning for the third wide receiver spot as the team looks to replace the void left by Steve Smith. NFL Network's Jason LaCanfora reported that the Giants worked out T.J. Houshmandzadeh and former Jet David Clowney along with Stokley on Wednesday. Cruz got the first crack at the slot on Sunday but dropped a pass on a 3rd-and-8 on the team's first drive. Cruz was only targeted twice the entire game.
The 24-year-old Cruz, who didn't have any catches but did come up with tackle in punt coverage on special teams, was asked if he had any nerves playing in his first regular season game since injuring himself last October. "Not really. I felt pretty natural out there," Cruz said. Cruz has yet to have a catch in four career NFL games. So on Monday night against St. Louis, he'll be looking for his first.

Although he has only been a full participant in one practice, Prince Amukamara has spent the past month in meetings and learning the team's defense. He's hoping when he's healthy enough to participate, he'll fit right in. Until then, his teammates have taken to calling him "the new guy," and Amukamara is still the rookie first-round pick who's not participating.

Sept 14 There already are too many worries about the state of the Giants' offense, but the competency of the line must be included. With one game down and one game lost, if what's up front doesn't get better, the suspected deficiencies at receiver and tight end will pale in comparison. The five-man unit has been reworked more than completely revamped, and test No. 1 was a failure.
Sunday's ugly performance made Jerry Reese's pseudo-guarantee that the Giants would make the playoffs and "make a run" look ridiculous. Yet the Giants are still only 0-1. Reese says he had a plan to build a contender this season. So doesn't he deserve more than one week to make it happen?

The Giants played three and sometimes four safeties on the field to compensate for a depleted secondary and a unit that lost middle linebacker Jon Goff just days before the game. The Giants, who face the Redskins again on Dec. 18 at MetLife Stadium, now have to bounce back against former defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and the Rams on Monday night. They hope to have Justin Tuck back this week from a neck injury that kept him out of the season opener.

Justin Tuck already missed one game with a neck injury. He does not expect to miss another. Tuck said his neck is "getting better." Speaking to students at Central Park East Middle School, Tuck moved his head side-to-side and stood straight. There was nothing apparent about his injury, and he's no longer hurting.
Tuck said he'll have no nervousness about getting back on the field and taking hits.At the R.U.S.H. For Literacy event, he gave away books--including his own children's book, "Home-Field Advantage," which was just released--and T-shirts to students and told them he could not be a football player if he could not read. He prove his point, he said he gets a playbook--he held his hands three inches apart to show the kids how thick it is--and has to studying it. And he gets a new one every week.

The Giants hope to rebound from a stinging loss to the Washington Redskins in Week 1 Monday against the St. Louis Rams. Both teams have been hit by injuries, and both are looking for the first win of the season. The Rams lost, 31-13, to the Philadelphia Eagles last Sunday.

Sept 13 Head coach Tom Coughlin was frustrated by the lack of execution on offense, which was 1 of 10 on third down. Coughlin was especially irked about the failed third-down conversions because that's keeping the Giants from scoring and putting too much pressure on the defense. Of the nine failed third downs, eight were passing plays. Manning said the issue was not the down but rather the distance. Only two were third-and-short situations, and four required at least 15 yards. "That's not really a third-down problem," Manning said. "That's a first- and second-down problem."
Eli Manning deserves a medal for completing 60 percent of his passes. (I threw away his two throwaways, which came as he was under duress. And if I get rid of the two drops to start the game and one later, the number moves to 67 percent.) This poor guy didn't stand a chance the way he was under heat from the jump. He also made a good, cool-headed play when he fielded a snap that was a tad low and outside and got a screen pass off to RB D.J. Ware early in the fourth quarter.

Maybe it is unfair, but when Manning aired that confident belief on the radio, he immediately turned this season into a referendum on how good a quarterback he really is. Never mind that he has no third receiver, that the Giants haven't replaced his tight end, or that his offensive line is a work in progress. If he's willing to compare himself to arguably the best quarterback of this generation, he needs to rise above that, to carry his beleaguered team.
St. Louis coach Steve Spagnuolo was the architect of the Giants' Super Bowl-winning defense of four years ago, and has made his living torturing opposing quarterbacks. Manning should be an easy target, struggling to look anything like the Top 5 quarterback he believes himself to be. Manning alone cannot make up for his unit's deficiencies, but alone he can do more than any other player on the field. Despite the protection offered by his coach, Eli needs to find a way to do more.

The Giants and Justin Tuck have acknowledged that status quo is not good enough, that the stiffness in his neck must improve before he can be cleared to play. Coach Tom Coughlin is getting exasperated with the inability of TE Travis Beckum to get on the field. He has had hamstring issues and missed the opener. He doesn't sound confident he's going to play against the Rams.
Tuck, who was inactive for Sunday's game, said his neck "hasn't gotten any better yet since [Sunday]." He admitted his recovery has grown "stagnant." "It's better than what it was a week ago," he said. "But the last couple of days heading up into the game, it just didn't stay up on that process." But Tuck expects to play.

The Giants' secondary is beat up. That's the easy answer as to what happened on Sunday against the Redskins when Rex Grossman threw for 305 yards and two touchdowns. It's also the wrong answer. The truth is they had five defensive backs on the field who have been NFL starters. So while the secondary wasn't at full-strength, the secondary was nonetheless capable of keeping Washington in check. So what happened?
When it was hinted yesterday the Giants might not exactly be whole, that those holes might help explain the 28-14 loss the Redskins pinned on them Sunday, Deon Grant halted the interrogation simply and bluntly. "I have two words for you," the Giants' safety said. "Green. Bay. They lost half their team and look what they did."

Hakeem Nicks' wrist is fine. His knee, however, has now become a serious source of concern for the injury-riddled Giants.
He had an X-ray of his wrist, which came back negative, but it's an issue with his knee that sent him yesterday for an examination and MRI.

The Giants are cornering the market on local wide receivers on their practice sqaud. Less than a week after signing Verona's Dan DePalma, the team added Monmouth's Chris Hogan to the practice squad.

Sept 12 Giants lose to Washington, 28-14   |    Photos  |  Photos

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On The Game: Game 1 Gamegirl "...I was hoping Pierre-Paul would have a good game especially with Osi Umenyiora sidelined and Justin Tuck out for this game, but even his two sacks weren't enough. There was upfront pressure on Grossman, but he was able to sting our soft secondary...." Mikefan. "...The offensive line for the Giants looked like they were in preseason mode. For a long while they have been overpowering the Redskins defense. You can't say that the current players won't grow into their roles, but not having a Kevin Boss or Steve Smith on the field takes this group down a notch...."

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ESPN - Rex Grossman shines as Redskins defeat Giants.
ESPN - New York Giants Rapid Reaction: Redskins 28, Giants 14.
ESPN - Coughlin questions flag on Rolle.
ESPN - Eli on INT :'Not a whole lot I can do'.
ESPN - Give O-line an 'F' on short-yardage plays.
ESPN - Giants secondary second-rate on Sunday.
ESPN - Injury report: Nicks undergoes X-rays.
Giants.com - Redskins defeat Giants, 28-14.
StarLedger - Eli Manning, Giants open season with rough 28-14 loss.
StarLedger - Giants suffer quite a dropoff with patchwork lineup against Redskins.
StarLedger - Rex Grossman picks apart Giants' secondary as Redskins win opener.
NYDailyNews - Eli Manning and Giants drop season-opener to Redskins, 28-14.
NYDailyNews - Justin Tuck sits out Giants' loss to Redskins, on doctor's orders.
NYDailyNews - Eli Manning continues to misfire, even against rebuilding Redskins.
NYDailyNews - Eli Manning, Giants learn the hard way that no easy games exist on NFL slate.
NYPost - Giants fall to Redskins in opener.
NYPost - Giants call anniversary loss 'embarrassing'.
NYPost - Eli's error outweighs the bright spots.
NYPost - Giants 'D' torn to shreds by Redskins' Grossman.
NYPost - Nothing special this Tynes around.
NYPost - Inactive Tuck sets sights on Week 2.
NYPost - Cofield ecstatic to get best of ex-mates.
Record - Giants beaten by Redskins, 28-14, in opener.
WashingtonTimes - Redskins' fresh faces provided a reversal of fortune.
WashingtonTimes - Season starts with a verdict for the Redskins' defense.
WashingtonPost - Rex Grossman has Redskins' confidence in NFL Week 1 win over Giants.
WashingtonPost - Giants' banged-up defense offers no excuses in Week 1 loss to Washington.

Sept 11 Everywhere he looks these days, Eli Manning can sees holes in the lineup. Some of his favorite teammates and targets are gone from his offense. On the defense, it seems he sees a new devastating injury every day. Manning shrugs it all off, as usual. Then he puts on his helmet and goes to work. That's what he does. That's what he always does.
Eli Manning's job has grown more difficult with the losses of Steve Smith and Kevin Boss. Manning added to the concern with a poor preseason (49.1 completion percentage with two interceptions and no touchdowns). Hakeem Nicks took a big step forward last season (79 catches for 1,052 yards and 11 TDs). He will have to at least match that production following the loss of Smith, but will face constant double teams.

When Jerry Reese vowed the Giants wouldn't just make the playoffs this year, they'd also "make a run," his team was still largely in one piece. It's hard to believe that was only one month ago. Terrell Thomas was still his starting cornerback, Jonathan Goff was still the middle linebacker, Osi Umenyiora hadn't had knee surgery and nobody was concerned about Justin Tuck.

The Giants placed injured middle linebacker Jon Goff on injured reserve and signed rookie defensive end Justin Trattou off the practice squad to the active roster. Trattou will help provide the team with depth and insurance for Justin Tuck, who is questionable with pain in his neck. Rookie Greg Jones is set to start in place of Goff at middle linebacker. The Giants have 11 rookies on the active roster.

Former Giants
Kerry Collins remembers visiting Ground Zero and seeing the workers' faces. "Any chance I get to tell my story about being there at that time, I tell it," he said. "People need to always remember. The moments we all do that may come few and far between, but when they happen, they are important."

Sept 10 Eli Manning did not have the best preseason, failing to throw a single touchdown. He has a new center and new left tackle and has to find replacements for tight end Kevin Boss and wide receiver Steve Smith. Also, Manning has only thrown more than one touchdown in a game against the Redskins once in 13 meetings against Washington.

Justin Tuck was in uniform Friday morning and participated full in every drill the Giants ran during the 30-minute period open to the media. He was listed as questionable by coach Tom Coughlin. "I am sure he was still cautious but he went out and played," Coughlin said.

Tight end Travis Beckum left practice with tightness in his hamstring. He's listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Redskins. "Do I think it's pulled? No, But there's something there," Beckum said.
If he can't go, that means Jake Ballard and Bear Pascoe will get more reps against the Redskins. Beckum is considered to have better hands than Ballard and Pascoe but Ballard has surprised some members of the team's staff with his pass-catching ability.

Giants punter Steve Weatherford doesn't worry about comments made by his former Jets coach, Mike Westhoff, about him. The Jets were 23rd in the NFL in punting average, but Weatherford led the league with punts inside the 20. Asked Friday about Westhoff's comments, Weatherford repeatedly took the high road.

Former Giants
Plaxico Burress said in an interview with Men's Journal that Coughlin didn't show any concern for him after the ex-Giants receiver shot himself in the leg in a Manhattan nightclub in November 2008. But Coughlin didn't want to know about it. At least, that's what he said to a group of reporters on Friday afternoon.
Kerry Collins is far from an unknown name and is certainly capable of winning games in the NFL. Fans will miss Peyton Manning and the Colts will always be Peyton's team, but Collins is capable of filling in in the meantime. One of the biggest challenges for the Colts will be the inexperience on the offensive line.

Sept 9 Looks like Perry Fewell might get his "bonus" after all. Justin Tuck is back to work. The Giants' defensive captain, who sat out practice on Thursday and proclaimed he'd handle his neck with care, is practicing today.
Tuck, 28, has not missed a game since 2006 when his season was cut short by a Lisfranc sprain. But the Giants coaches aren't counting on him, judging by defensive coordinator Perry Fewell's comments. "If Tuck plays, that's a bonus for us," he said.

Giants Season Preview 2011: Can Eli Manning avoid turnovers? For all the talk-radio arguments about whether Eli Manning is or is not one of the NFL's top signal-callers, it's inarguable that a franchise quarterback cannot suffer from 25-interception seasons like Manning did in 2010.

Former Giants
Plaxico Burress rips Tom Coughlin, Eli Manning and Giants' fans in interview with Men's Journal Burress, who signed a one-year deal with the Jets, made it clear that he isn't Coughlin's biggest fan in the interview.

Sept 8 Mathias Kiwanuka obviously would love to have Justin Tuck, the Giants' newly re-elected defensive captain, on the field this Sunday against the Washington Redskins. But that looks to be increasingly in doubt. Tuck is suffering from a neck injury and may not see the field in the opener.

Washington Redskins safety LaRon Landry said yesterday he will miss Sunday's season opener against New York proving that it's not just the Giants that are facing defensive health concerns. Landry had missed the entire preseason recovering from an injured achilles' tendon suffered last season.

Of all the things John Mara remembers from 9/11, one of the most vivid was his memory of the cars in the Meadowlands parking lot. The Giants and Redskins game this Sunday will be played on the ten year anniversary of the attacks in both cities and is sure to bring with it emotion from all sides.

Sept 7 Last summer, with Eli Manning and Jim Sorgi down with injuries, the Giants had no choice but to cut Jake Ballard to make room for another quarterback on the roster. Ballard was also hurt, so it would have made sense the team would waive him with an injury designation. ... He's currently listed as the starter on the team's "unofficial, projected" depth chart.

The next time Greg Jones gets his hands on a live football, he is going to score. The Giants' backup linebacker is sure of it. And he may get that chance this weekend. The rookie is expected to see more playing time with Goff out for the season.

 I want to go from being a feel-good story to making an impact on the field," Herzlich said. Herzlich is one of 3 undrafted free agents to make the Giants' 53 man roster. Now they all look to make their mark.

Sept 6 Various sources are reporting that Jonathon Goff has been lost for the year with a torn ACL suffered in a collision during practice. Goff was the Giants' fifth round pick in 2008 and was expected to start at MLB this year. Speculation is that the Giants may sign Kawika Mitchell, who played the position for them during their 2007 Super Bowl year, and was most recently with New Orleans after passing through Buffalo.

The Redskins have named Rex Grossman the starting QB. Mike Shannahan had used the preseason to decided between Rex Grossman and John Beck. "I just thought it was the best thing," Shanahan said after Monday practice. "If we knew what direction we were going to go, [we wanted] to let everybody know and let everybody know so on Wednesday we can focus on the Giants and not all the speculation that goes on in between. I wanted to take as long as I possibly could to make sure that I did make the right decision. But [it] was very competitive, and I like where we're at."

Former Giants
Tiki Barber hasn't found a home in the NFL despite hoping for a comeback season. "We are flabbergasted that Tiki has not had an opportunity with any team, especially when rosters were at 90 players this year. I certainly thought some team would be intrigued to see what he had left in the tank." his agent Mark Lepselter said.

Sept 5 The Giants signed six players to their practice squad. All six were waived by the team in yesterday's roster cutdown. Those who returned to the locker room are running back Andre Brown, tight end Christian Hopkins, defensive end Justin Trattou, linebacker Adrian Tracy, quarterback Ryan Perrilloux and defensive tackle Dwayne Hendricks.
The Giants moved 6-2, 245-pound Adrian Tracy to linebacker last season. Tracy looked at 2010 like a redshirt season, learning the system while on injured reserve. Upon arriving in camp this season, though, there was a flock of competitors for reserve linebacker spots.
Though many believed the Giants might be interested in immediately improving their depth at positions such as tight end or cornerback by scanning the waiver wire for players, the team did not place any claims on Sunday. The Giants currently have three tight ends on the roster: Travis Beckum, Bear Pascoe and Jake Ballard. Beckum is a bit undersized and has been more of a slot receiver, Pascoe has spent time at fullback and Ballard was impressive in the preseason as a blocker and receiver.

NFC East News
NFC free-agent moves - Pro Football Weekly checks out all the teams starting with the NFC East.

Sept 4 The Giants significantly reshaped their roster, leaving themselves with a new punter, an old/new backup quarterback and four rookie linebackers. In the process, they waived three of their 2010 draft choices - linebackers Phillip Dillard and Adrian Tracy and punter Matt Dodge. The final 53-man roster (for now).

NFC East Preview 2011: Will the Giants edge out the Eagles? Cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, a four-time Pro Bowl selection, is one of the many big-name players the Philadelphia Eagles added this offseason.
Here is the conclusion you reach after analyzing the virtual reality 53-man ros ters at the conclusion of yesterday's final cutdowns: The Jets have a better chance of taking down the Patriots than the Giants have of taking down the Eagles.

The most inspirational story of the preseason ended with a flourish, as Herzlich, an undrafted rookie linebacker, stuck on the roster. Herzlich missed the 2009 season at BC battling a form of bone cancer and became one of four rookie linebackers to make the cut. The emergence of Greg Jones, a sixth-round pick from Michigan State, as a middle linebacker prospect enabled the Giants to cut second-year pro Phillip Dillard. Along with Matt Dodge and linebacker Adrian Tracy, three 2010 draft picks were cut.
"Herzlich didn't bat an eye the whole camp," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said Saturday. "Physically, he did everything you asked and more. I saw him improve literally week by week. He can play multiple positions. He's very smart. He does an outstanding job on special teams. He's told one time and he goes and does it. He deserves it."

Giants cut ties with punter Matt Dodge as they trim roster to 53, hand job to Steve Weatherford. When Steve Weatherford arrived at Giants camp in early August he knew he was the favorite to become the Giants punter. The odds were against Matt Dodge from the beginning, probably from the moment he punted that ball to DeSean Jackson last December.
Given his potential, his highs, his lows and his competing with a former Jet, Dodge was a player who impressed many people with his resiliency. And the fact the competition was so close (the punters were separated by only 0.2 yards in gross average in the preseason) made it difficult to pick a winner. "That was a tough, tough decision," coach Tom Coughlin said in a press release announcing the cuts.

Sept 3 Da'Rel Scott has been one of the most impressive players on the Giants offense this preseason. That's the goal of the bubble players: put together some good film and force a team to keep you.

The doctors told him there was no chance he ever would play again. None. Mark Herzlich never was supposed to step on a football field after he was diagnosed in 2009 with Ewing's sarcoma in his left leg. Herzlich will spend the day trying to keep busy, knowing teams have to cut their rosters to 53 players by 6 p.m.

Ramses Barden was placed on the physically-unable-to-perform list, but the wide receiver doesn't sound too disappointed about it. "Thinking about it, it might have been the best decision as far as giving me enough time to not only get healthy, but have that time to get conditioned," said Barden, who is still recovering from offseason ankle surgery.

Go ahead and name your memories of the Giants' preseason finale against the Patriots last season at New Meadowlands Stadium (now MetLife Stadium). ... Still thinking? This is not to say the final preseason game is meaningless. Tell that to Duke Calhoun, who essentially clinched a roster spot with an impressive performance in the final game last year.

Former Giants
Plaxico Burress ended up signing with the Jets, but it wasn't due to lack of interest from the Giants. At least, not according to ex-Giants receiver Steve Smith.

Sept 2 Giants win over the New England, 18-17    |    Photos  |  Photos

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On The Game: Preseason Game 4 Gamegirl - INTERVIEW Not Available Mikefan -   INTERVIEW Not Available

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ESPN - Giants rally for 15 points in 4th to edge Patriots.
ESPN - Rapid Reaction: Giants 18, Patriots 17
ESPN - Great Scott! Da'Rel busts another long touchdown.
ESPN - Rosenfels misses third straight game after strep throat infection.
Giants.com - Giants Defeat Patriots, 18-17.
StarLedger - Clint Sintim suffers injury in 18-17 preseason victory
StarLedger - Giants' rookie Jerrel Jernigan bounces back in preseason victory over Patriots.
NYDailyNews - Giants subs score two fourth-quarter touchdowns to stun New England in final preseason game 18-17.
NYPost - Late heroics lift Giants over Patriots in preseason final.
NYPost - Giants LB Sintum tears up knee.
Record - Giants lose LB Clint Sintim to knee injury in win over Patriots.
Patriots.com - Giants Postgame Quotes - 9/01/2011.
Patriots.com - Patriots Postgame Quotes - 9/01/2011.

Former Giants
Steve Smith says he's going to play in the Eagles' season-opener. If he does, it would only add to the anger of Giants' fans already upset over his departure.
Steve Smith, a former Giants Pro Bowl receiver who underwent microfracture surgery of his left knee last December, returned to practice at the beginning of the week.

Sept 1 Special Report - HERE IT IS, THE FINAL 53-MAN ROSTER PREDICTION While getting ready for the Giants' 11th game in 13 days, or so it seems, why not take a break in the action and study their upcoming decisions in order to reach the final roster count of 53? That must be done by Saturday at 4 p.m., and just as every other year, it ain't going to be easy.

After the lockout, Tom Coughlin knew that every moment of the summer was going to count. He planned out every minute, every detail, to make sure the Giants would be absolutely ready. Then came Hurricane Irene, and suddenly his plan had to change. "Am I concerned about it? Of course," Coughlin said.

During the season, Eli Manning enjoys the attention to detail and he'll be honed in on the Redskins for more than a week. He confidently trusts his ability to dissect what the opponent is trying to do, which is why he puts in so much time during the week. Little of that takes place in the preseason and pretty much winging it is not where Manning excels.

Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs are No. 1 and No. 1A in the Giants backfield. The backup runners have not yet been determined. D.J. Ware was the No. 3 running back last season, and the team is high on the five-year veteran, who rushed for 37 yards on eight carries in Monday's loss to the Jets.

Last chance for sixth-round pick Jones to impress Giants. He's fighting for a roster spot at a crowded linebacker position loaded with established starters (Mathias Kiwanuka and Michael Boley), players carrying high expectations (2009 second-rounder Clint Sintim) and young talent (fellow sixth-round pick Jacquian Williams, fan-favorite Mark Herzlich and the eye-opening rookie free agent Spencer Paysinger).

Jerrel Jernigan dropped back to return five punts Monday night against the Jets. Three were muffed. One was fumbled. For a player auditioning to fill a vital and heretofore lacking role on the Giants roster, the performance was enough to generate doubt in the mind of Giants coach Tom Coughlin.

Aug 31 While teams around the NFL needed to trim their roster to 80 players Tuesday, the Giants only needed to get to 85 players. The NFL made a special provision for the Giants and the Jets because the postponed third exhibition game forced both teams to play Thursday's preseason finale on only two days rest.

Due to the compressed schedule, Tom Coughlin said Tuesday that he is considering sitting all of his starters in the Giants' preseason finale against the Patriots in New England Thursday night. With only two light practices scheduled between the games and 11 days until the regular-season opener, it's doubtful the starters would complain.
A mass benching of the first team would snuff Coughlin's plan to get his starters 60 plays in the final two preseason games combined. They appeared to get just 45 snaps in the 17-3 loss to the Jets. "It's important to go into a [regular] season healthy, and the offense is healthy right now," Manning said last night. The Giants' offense might be healthy, but it has been anything but productive.

There are the Eli Manning defenders and the Eli Manning bashers. Always have been, always will be. Monday night through today, they've been out in full force. The disappointing performance of the Giants' passing game in the biggest rehearsal for the regular season was partly on Manning, partly on his protection and partly on his targets.
So far, it's been a struggle. One of the picks Manning threw against the Jets was the result of a mis-read by second-year receiver Victor Cruz. The miscues have made the offense seem erratic, and it's opened the question of how much trust Manning has in his receiving corps.
It's been a while since Eli Manning has had a preseason without a touchdown. Quick research revealed it was 2004, his rookie season. It's also been a while since the Giants have gone without a deep completion up the middle of the field in the preseason. Based on a more inexact science - i.e. Tom Coughlin's memory - it doesn't seem like there's ever been such a drought in the Manning/Coughlin era.

The Giants keep trying to hand Jerrel Jernigan their punt-return job, but the rookie kept fumbling it Monday night. The third-round pick from Troy was credited with - and this is not a misprint - four muffed or fumbled punts in the 17-3 exhibition loss to the Jets. Jernigan lost only one of them, but that's still no way to win a role when your coach is famously obsessed with securing the football.

After losing starting cornerback Terrell Thomas for the season to a torn ACL, the Giants are turning to former starter Aaron Ross to fill the void. And fellow starting CB Corey Webster spoke highly of Ross on a conference call with reporters Tuesday.

The Giants got a couple of scares on Monday night as Mathias Kiwanuka left with a groin injury and Justin Tuck departed with a "burner." Kiwanuka said he expects to be ready for the season opener against the Redskins and was just being cautious.

Former Giants
Jeremy Shockey's biggest play of the preseason came in the team's cafeteria, when he saved fellow tight end Ben Hartsock from choking.

Aug 30 Giants lose to the Jets, 17-3    |  Photos  |  Photos

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On The Game: Preseason Game 3 Gamegirl "...Well it's no longer 'New Meadowlands Stadium'. If you were able to survive the hurricane and adjust your schedule twice, you got to take a seat tonight in 'MetLife Stadium'... It was strange seeing Plaxico Burress in a Jets uniform and I'll be secretly rooting for him when he's not playing against us...." Mikefan. "...The Giants started fast on offense, but came up short on scoring, and they also reverted to last season form where Eli Manning threw interceptions under pressure. He also allowed the play clock to run way down which has been a trait of this offense over the years. Scoring points in Coughlin's so called 'green zone' was also a problem. As they say, bad habits die hard, and they certainly are not going to get you championships ...."

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ESPN - Jets scratch out enough O to dispatch Giants after two-day delay.
ESPN - Rapid Reaction: Jets 17, Giants 3.
ESPN - Observation deck: Giants-Jets.
Giants.com - Giants fall to Jets, 17-3.
Giants.com - Postgame Player Quotes.
StarLedger - Eli Manning, Giants' passing game shaky in 17-3 preasons loss.
StarLedger - Brandon Jacobs, Muhammad Wilkerson ejected after fight.
StarLedger - Giants' defense makes a strong showing in preseason loss.
StarLedger - Tom Coughlin upset with Brandon Jacobs, Deon Grant.
StarLedger - Giants' Eli Manning raises more doubts than hopes in preseason.
NYDailyNews - Giants shouldn't panic yet, but Eli Manning's decision-making must improve to have shot at playoffs.
NYDailyNews - Jets defense intercepts Eli Manning twice in 17-3 preseason win over Giants at MetLife Stadium.
NYDailyNews - Hakeem Nicks provides glimmer of hope in Giants' 17-3 loss to Jets at MetLife Stadium Monday night.
NYDailyNews - Plaxico Burress can't register one catch in Jets' 17-3 win over his former New York Giants squad.
NYPOST - Jets beat Giants for braggin' rights in ugly game.
NYPOST - Rex's Gang makes Giants QB look green.
NYPOST - Big Blue's Mann of the hour far from 'Elite'.
NYPOST - Isn't that special? Big boo for Giants' kick, punt teams.
Record - Giants offense struggles in loss to the Jets.

Aug 29 - UPDATE - The Giants have announced that parking will be free for tonight's 7 p.m. game against the Jets. Lots for tonight's game open at 2 p.m. Those who have purchased permits will be parked in the areas for the permits they possess. Those without permits will be parked on a first-come, first-served basis in the general parking areas.

Aug 29 Stay home. That was the unusual advice Tom Coughlin gave the Giants on Saturday after meetings and practice in advance of Hurricane Irene. Eli Manning told Giants.com. "So stay in the house and have enough food and water so you don't have to leave and let this thing full clear before we have to go out and about." Coughlin gave the team the day off on Sunday to stay home and deal with the hurricane.

The heavy winds and torrential rains that battered New Jersey have apparently spared the stadium at the Meadowlands, and the Giants-Jets preseason game is still scheduled to be played Monday night at 7 p.m. New Jersey Transit trains will not stop at the Meadowlands station due to "expected limited equipment and crew members." According to the NJ Transit web site, Coach USA will provide bus service to and from MetLife Stadium out of the Port Authority bus terminal.

The third preseason game of the summer is always when coaches find out the most about the team they are taking into the season. And with the lockout wiping out the offseason, Tom Coughlin and Rex Ryan still have a lot to find out. After Monday night, the Giants and Jets meet again in the 15th game of the season on Dec. 24. New York football fans can only dream about a third meeting on Feb. 5 in Indianapolis, but it's not likely this will be the year the Jets and Giants meet in the Super Bowl.

Giants vs. Jets - Three positions to watch.
Cornerback - No position has come under more scrutiny this week than cornerback.
Wide receiver - The Giants' wide receiving corps will glance across the sideline and see Plaxico Burress, a receiver the team attempted sign.
Running back - Ahmad Bradshaw did not practice on Thursday, a fact that does not change his status as the team's starting running back.

Giants vs. Jets - Three things to watch.
What about QB Eli Manning?
Will WR Victor Cruz do it again?
Will CB Aaron Ross keep on the upswing?

The 2011 NFL season hasn't begun, yet already the Giants have the unwanted honor of being a league leader in a statistical column in which no team ever wants to have high numbers: season-ending injuries. The Giants entered Monday's game with the Jets with nine players that are either headed to injured reserve or had been officially designated as such.
The last time the Giants hit the field they were dramatically losing winners, having ripped the Bears 41-13 but along the way suffering key injuries, most notably to cornerback Terrell Thomas, who went down and out for the season with torn knee ligaments. That is the scenario the Giants are desperate to avoid tonight at MetLife Stadium when they finally get to face the Jets in a delayed third preseason game.

The Giants have an incredibly tough second half of their schedule and it's possible they will be passing a lot down the stretch. Here's a closer fantasy look at how Hakeem Nicks and the Giants have fared in the second half recently and if Nicks is even overrated.

This being a contract year for Jonathan Goff, he picked a good time to show new facets of his game that weren't as well-honed in the past. And while it could wind up costing the Giants more money come time for a contract extension, for now the team is eager to see how much more Goff will progress.

The Giants' backup quarterback job might be slipping away from Sage Rosenfels, who played well in the preseason opener but saw David Carr play even better (9 of 11, 84 yards, two touchdowns) last week against the Bears. Tonight against the Jets, Carr will again get the call after Eli Manning. Rosenfels has been ill with strep throat and also has some back issues.
The life had begun to drain from Ryan Perrilloux as he lay on the operating table, hemorrhaging blood while surgeons struggled to keep him alive. The Giants' fourth-string quarterback spent three weeks in the hospital, recovering from a bullet that entered near his right pectoral muscle and narrowly missed his heart. The least experienced and least accomplished of the signal-callers on the roster. But Perrilloux, 24, has the strongest arm and more potential than any of them but Eli Manning.

Former Giants
Harry Carson was the immovable object in the middle of Bill Parcells' defenses. Chiseled out of stone, Carson was the captain of defiance at the point of attack, drawing a Big Blue line in the sand for offensive linemen and running backs who dared to cross it while Lawrence Taylor was unleashing mayhem on quarterbacks.

NFC East News
Eagles enter the season with this backup quarterback situation: An ill-prepared Vince Young and a weak-armed Mike Kafka. If Vick goes down, the Eagles' talented corps of receivers doesn't get the ball and doesn't score a lot of points.
Cowboys' first-team defense has given up 30 points in nine possession in the preseason. It has repeatedly been gashed on the ground. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says he is not worried at this time and is hoping things will be cleared up before the season opener against the Jets.
Redskins just might have two legitimate starting candidates after Rex Grossman and John Beck both fared well in the usually telling third preseason game against Baltimore's formidable defense. "I'm going to evaluate them all the way through camp ... possibly up to the day before we play the Giants," Shanahan said.

Aug 28 Tom Coughlin captured all the chaos of the past month in just 10 words. "There really has been no precedent for this entire preseason," he said in an interview Saturday with the transcript provided by the Giants. There was the frenetic post-lockout free agency period. The Osi Umenyiora saga. A series of devastating injuries. And now a hurricane.

Blizzards, hurricanes ... it's all the same to the Giants. They're used to being battered around by Mother Nature by now. Last year they got stranded in Kansas City while on their way to Minnesota for a game that got moved to Detroit after heavy snow crushed the roof of the Metrodome. Two weeks later a blizzard stranded them outside Green Bay for two extra nights after a 45-17 loss to the Packers.

The Giants held meetings and a practice Saturday, with the players done by 1:30 p.m. Coughlin gave them Sunday off to deal with the hurricane and take care of their families. According to the Giants, it's the "first time in memory" the team won't gather the day before a game. Usually, the players spend the night before games - both home and away - in a hotel.
There is a fourth preseason game on the schedule, but its arrival on Thursday in New England -- just three days after the game against the Jets -- has Coughlin thinking full backup mode for the Patriots. Not taking any chances with his regular starters, coach Tom Coughlin said tomorrow's game against the Jets will be the final time Eli Manning and the Giants' offense will play this preseason.

There are leaders who tell younger players to run to the ball and play through the whistle but don't follow their own advice. And then there are leaders like Justin Tuck, who on multiple occasions in training camp, and to the delight of his coaches, was hustling toward a running back about 40 yards downfield.

Giants rookie Da'Rel Scott doesn't let personal tragedy stop him from chasing his NFL dream. Rookie Da'Rel Scott, the fastest running back at the NFL's scouting combine, is on the roster bubble with Big Blue.

Former Giants
Steve Smith made a surprisingly early return to practice with his new team down in Philadelphia Saturday and was officially removed from the Eagles' physically unable to perform (PUP) list. "I think I would be able to (play in Week 1)," Smith told the Philly media. "It's just a matter of what the coaches and trainers want me to do."

Aug 27 With the massive storm approaching, the Giants, Jets and the NFL made the smart choice and have changed Saturday's 2 p.m. preseason game to Monday night at 7 p.m. at MetLife Stadium.
The Giants and Jets play their preseason finales on Thursday, which means there will be only a three-day turnaround for the players. The Giants travel to New England to face the Patriots, and the Jets play host to the Eagles.
According to an NFL source, the teams and the league considered all options, including canceling the game altogether. They Giants obviously didn't want to have to refund money to everyone who bought tickets, and neither team wanted to completely give up what is usually the most significant preseason game when starters often play into the third quarter.

Aug 26 The Jets and Giants get fired up to play each other in a practice game every year - Eli Manning needed 12 stitches last year to patch up a bloody three-inch gash on his forehead - so you can imagine the trash talking that will be flying between the two camps when they play for real on Dec. 24.

While it was fun for Victor Cruz to be playing on instinct while catching three touchdowns against the Jets last preseason and receiving tons of praise from Gilbride and head coach Tom Coughlin, the Giants need him to step up now because there's a void at slot receiver created by the loss of Steve Smith.

Running back Ahmad Bradshaw appears set to miss the exhibition matchup at MetLife Stadium because of an unspecified back injury, while Lawrence Tynes' slowly healing quadriceps bruise could continue to sideline the veteran kicker into the regular season.
The Giants starters are expected to play most of the first half Saturday. Jacobs won't mind shouldering the full feature-back workload, because he desperately wants to make an impression on the league this season.
Jacobs agreed to restructure his contract, which helped the Giants re-sign Bradshaw to a four-year, $18 million deal. Jacobs and the Giants trimmed his base salary, but added incentives that could result in even more money.

This preseason Matt Dodge is facing some stiff competition for his job from six-year NFL veteran Steve Weatherford, the starting punter for the Jets the past two seasons. Weatherford doesn't have as strong a leg as Dodge, but he is a better directional kicker.
It has been eight months since Matt Dodge punted the football to DeSean Jackson and watched the Eagles speedster return it for a game-winning touchdown. But fans still remember the play vividly, and that doesn't sit well with Lawrence Tynes.
"It's understandable (but) it's kind of disappointing because that's last year," Tynes said. "They don't boo the defense when they go on the field. We all lost that game. It wasn't just Matt's fault. So it's a little disappointing, but they have the right; they pay their money to come to the games.
Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes appears iffy for the regular-season opener because his bruised quadriceps has been slow to heal. Tynes was hurt in the preseason opener at Carolina when a defender fell into his leg while blocking a field goal in the second half, and he said Thursday he has yet to kick a football since.

The Giants signed Brian Williams on Wednesday to fill in at cornerback after a four-play workout that included two former Pro Bowlers. Williams, who spent nine seasons in the NFL and started 99 games, impressed the team enough that they offered him a contract over the other three. Coughlin said Williams would play on Saturday, although the coach did not know how long. Coughlin insisted Williams needs work, so expect No. 43 on the field.
Williams was asked Thursday whether he was surprised the Falcons elected to let him go. "I was a little surprised," Williams said. "But hey, it's the business. They told my agent they wanted to go younger and develop the young guys. That's the route they went, so I had to move on."

Aug 25 - UPDATE - Saturday's preseason game between the Giants and Jets has been moved to 2 p.m. because of weather forecasts, the Giants announced tonight. The game was originally scheduled for 7 p.m. Hurricane Irene is expected to make landfall in New Jersey early Sunday morning.
This will be the Giants' first daytime preseason game in a decade. On Aug. 31, 2001, the Giants and Baltimore Ravens played a preseason rematch of Super Bowl XXXV in what was then called PSINet Stadium.

Aug 25 Fresh blood: Hit remains on Manning's mind. The annual preseason game already carries more weight than most, thanks to the two teams sharing the stadium. But add into it last year's hit, as well as the presence of a certain new wide receiver on the Jets, and this year's game has more interest than usual.
Plaxico Burress' former Giants teammates admit it will seem strange at first to see him in a Jets uniform Saturday night at MetLife Stadium. Justin Tuck already experienced that feeling watching Burress catch a touchdown in his first game with Gang Green last weekend. "It's pretty weird," Tuck said yesterday.

For a lineman who has yet to make 100 tackles -- total -- in eight NFL seasons, Jimmy Kennedy sure is proud of himself. "If you ask me who the best defensive tackle in the NFL is, I'll tell you Jimmy Kennedy," the former first-round bust and freshly minted Giant said yesterday after finalizing his deal with the team.
Veteran defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy returns home and joins the Giants looking to shake bust label. The 31-year-old Kennedy, out of Yonkers and Roosevelt High School, has had a well-travelled and somewhat disappointing eight-year career in the NFL, never quite living up to the expectations of being the 12th overall pick in the 2003 draft.

Mike Garafolo wondered why the fans are still booing Matt Dodge. Apparently, Giants coach Tom Coughlin is wondering the same. "First of all, he's got to prove it, I understand all of that," Coughlin said today. "(But) it'd be good to think a guy playing in that uniform, at home, would be well received by his fans."

The loss of cornerback Terrell Thomas and two other defenders for the season in Monday's 41-13 exhibition win over the Bears prompted Big Blue to add veteran corner Brian Williams and leave the door open for more players at that spot.
Having lost three cornerbacks already during training camp to season-ending injuries and another for six weeks, the Giants today moved to bolster the position. They will sign veteran cornerback Brian Williams, according to a person informed of the move.
Williams, 32, spent the past two seasons with Falcons, and also has played for the Jaguars and Vikings. The fourth-round pick in 2002 by Minnesota has 18 interceptions in 128 career games.

With the Giants losing a cornerback to injury seemingly every day this training camp, Big Blue fans should be happy to know that Aaron Ross is doing everything he possibly can to stay on the field.
Ross now unexpectedly enters a contract year as a starting cornerback, and he's in the uncharacteristic position of being one of the healthy players in the group.
Corey Webster and Aaron Ross have both been Giants starters. Michael Coe was on the roster last season and knows the defense. Who can name the other two healthy cornerbacks on the Giants roster? The answer: Joe Burnett and Darnell Burks.

A lot of praise was being heaped on Giants kick returner Devin Thomas after his impressive performance against the Chicago Bears on Monday night, but the player competing with him for a roster spot played a big role and shouldn't be ignored. That player is Michael Clayton, who delivered some big blocks as the "up" man in front of Thomas.

Former Giants
Kerry Collins signed as insurance at quarterback for Colts. Peyton Manning acknowledged Saturday that he did not expect to play in the final two preseason games and that he would need the next two weeks just to get healthy.
Kerry Collins said he has been given no indication that Manning won't play at Houston. "Hopefully, Peyton will be back, but if he's not maybe I can be one of the guys that can help this ball club," Collins said in a conference call with reporters Wednesday night.

Stadium News
The new stadium in the Meadowlands may finally have a name, but that won't stop the Jets and Giants from fighting about who gets to call it home. That old battle was reignited Wednesday, when Justin Tuck and Santonio Holmes traded barbs between East Rutherford and Florham Park, N.J. It began with an innocent question to Tuck about what he thought of MetLife buying the naming rights to what was previously called New Meadowlands Stadium.
"Giants Stadium," Tuck says. "I'm glad that MetLife came forward as a sponsor but to me it will always be Giants Stadium." Of course, at least one Jet didn't appear to appreciate that. The rivalry between the Jets and Giants will heat up this year since both teams play each other on Christmas Eve.

Aug 24 The Giants' 41-13 win over the Bears on Monday included starting cornerback Terrell Thomas' season-ending knee injury. He will now be joined on injured reserve by cornerback Brian Witherspoon, who also has a torn ACL, and defensive tackle Marvin Austin, who has a torn pectoral muscle.
Sometimes a torn pec isn't a season-ending injury. This one, apparently, is. "Yes, I think this one is," Tom Coughlin said on a conference call. "Sometimes they can be nurtured back to some kind of significance. But in his situation, playing where he plays, and the degree of the injury -- he got caught with his arm out to the side -- evidently the doctors decided it required surgery."
Austin was going to play at defensive tackle in a rotation behind starters Linval Joseph and Chris Canty. The Giants were excited about his potential, given that he missed all of last season at North Carolina because of an NCAA suspension.

The words would not come easily, leaving Tom Coughlin grasping for them as he hesitantly began to speak. "The injury report is .. is ... not something that I'm ... that I'm real happy about today," he said in a conference call. "I feel very badly for these ... young guys who have come in and played so darn well and then had their seasons come to an end." Coughlin was talking about cornerback Terrell Thomas. And Brian Witherspoon. And rookie defensive tackle Marvin Austin.
The marquee player is Thomas, and the specific position in crisis is cornerback, with three players gone for the season and another, first-round pick Prince Amukamara, hobbled with a broken left foot incurred Aug. 6 in his second NFL practice. The initial time frame for Amukamara's return was thought to be two months, but Coughlin yesterday said it is more like 10 weeks, which would delay the rookie's debut until possibly mid-October, five games into the season.

Flashback 2007 - Jim Fassel returns Tom Coughlin's rip. Coughlin's comments came during his introductory press conference on Jan. 7, 2004, during which he vowed to fix all the problems that had occurred in Fassel's last season with the Giants. The most infamous comment was about the 12 Giants who ended the 2003 season on injured reserve (three others sat out the last few games). "I'm aware of the injury factor, the number of IRs, which is a cancer, let's face it," Coughlin said. "It's something that has to be corrected. It's a mental thing, I believe, as much as anything else." In Coughlin's first season as Giants coach, 18 players finished the season on IR. He has placed 47 players on IR in his four seasons.

Terrell Thomas faces a more arduous journey back to playing high-level cornerback for the Giants than most torn ACL patients because his is a repeat injury in his right knee. Thomas first tore his right anterior cruciate ligament in 2005 while playing for USC. Although a torn ACL is a major injury, it is fairly common and the success rate for a complete recovery is extremely high.

Following the loss of Terrell Thomas and Brian Witherspoon to torn ACL injuries Monday night, Giants co-owner John Mara is looking to his roster to step up and fill the void-although the team will keep an open eye on any available players.
Mara pledged confidence in Aaron Ross and is hopeful that Prince Amukamara will soon return. He pointed out that the Giants still have starter Corey Webster, and there are young players who will need to step up. Mara also said that the Giants have flexibility if needed to add payroll. .

Prince Amukamara wheeled his way through the Giants' locker room Monday night on a scooter, his left foot in a cast. It was a reminder of how little the first-round pick can do to help his beleaguered team right now. With all the injuries in the secondary, they will need their first-round pick to be ready as quickly as he can.

Stadium News
It's official: MetLife Stadium. The first game to be played at the stadium under the new name will feature the Jets facing the Giants on Saturday night, with the Giants serving as hosts.
One event that will definitely focus the public eye on MetLife Stadium is the 2014 Super Bowl at the Meadowlands, which will offer a quick return on the investment in the form of nationally televised mentions and images of MetLife's name. MetLife Stadium   |  View from your seat

NFL News
The NFL owners' desire for an 18-game regular season was quickly squashed by the players during the lockout. But Giants co-owner Steve Tisch thinks the idea isn't dead yet.

Aug 23 Giants win over the Bears, 41-13    |    Photos  |  Photos

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On The Game: Preseason Game 2 Gamegirl "...If you had the chance to be at the Stadium tonight, you felt like a lot of other Giants fans, that the football season has finally started. I know it's actually the second preseason game, but this one was the first home game, and the Giants treated us to a 41-13 victory. ....." Mikefan. "...It wasn't until Brandon Jacobs was featured that the offense really started to take off. He scored the Giants first touchdown this preseason in the second quarter on an 18 yard run. Aaron Ross told us that he feels like he can turn it on this year and he showed it in this game. That's just in time because Terrell Thomas went down with a bad injury...."

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ESPN - Giants' rout of Bears ruined by Terrell Thomas' ACL injury.
ESPN - Observation deck: Giants-Bears.
Giants.com - Giants defeat Bears, 41-13.
Giants.com - CB Thomas Suffers Torn ACL.
StarLedger - Giants vs. Chicago Bears: Three things we learned.
StarLedger - Giants' 41-13 preseason victory overshadowed by injuries for two more defensive backs.
StarLedger - Giants' Aaron Ross gets a second chance after Terrell Thomas' injury in win over Bears.
NYDailyNews - Aaron Ross looks to reassert himself in Giants secondary covering outside receivers at cornerback.
NYDailyNews - Giants beat up on Bears, 41-13, but lose corner Terrell Thomas for season with torn ACL.
NYPOST - Terrell Thomas tears ACL, out for season.
NYPOST - Giants bash Bears, lose Thomas for season.
NYPOST - Giants LT Beatty has foot scare.
Record - Giants win ruined as Terrell Thomas out with torn ACL.
ChicagoSunTimes - Few positives to celebrate in Bears' 41-13 loss to Giants.
ChicagoSunTimes - Bears' O-line takes step forward vs. Giants after nine-sack debacle.

Aug 22 In their preseason opener, the Bears allowed a ghastly nine sacks to the Bills, which is a pretty good indication they have not improved their greatest area of weakness. The Bears allowed an NFL-high 56 sacks last season and, in a 17-3 loss to the Giants on Oct. 3, Jay Cutler was sacked an incredible nine times in the first half as the Giants amassed 10 sacks and knocked Cutler from the game.

There's no competition at starting quarterback, but Eli Manning needs a more inspiring effort than his performance last week. Manning went 4-of-9 for 36 yards and couldn't connect with Hakeem Nicks on a pair of deep passes downfield. Behind Manning, the competition is intriguing.
The identity of the Giants' backup quarterback may not mean very much, but a turned ankle here or sore shoulder there for Manning and all of a sudden everyone needs to know who's next in line. David Carr and Sage Rosenfels are vying for the spot. Rosenfels, 33, served as Manning's caddie last season and it was assumed there would be no change this year. But when Carr, 32, was released, the Giants couldn't resist picking him up.

Former first-round pick Aaron Ross is glad to be one of four members of the Giants' 2007 draftclass still with the team -- along with Ahmad Bradshaw, Zak DeOssie and Adam Koets. Ross, who said he paid special attention to his tackling this past week, feels good right now because he's not dealing with any injuries or ailments. And that has built up his confidence.
Now, the Giants need Ross to play a key role. They still have a pair of solid bookend starting corners in Terrell Thomas and Corey Webster, but training camp injuries have robbed the unit of its depth, a serious concern when the schedule includes two games against the potent Eagles and visits to high-flying New England and New Orleans.

Travis Beckum will start at tight end for the Giants Monday night - but you many not notice he's a tight end. Beckum weighs around 235 pounds, making him one of the NFL's slighter at the position. Beckum, though, has the potential to be a superior pass catcher. General manager Jerry Reese noted that Boss caught 35 passes last season, an entirely attainable total for Beckum. And Beckum thinks the coaching staff will discover ways to use him - both as a receiver and a blocker.

After Barry Cofield signed with the Redskins, Linval Joseph became the presumed starter next to Chris Canty. Joseph is starting to make things look easier and has impressed head coach Tom Coughlin with his work in the preseason opener nine days ago at Carolina. He came off the ball well and got good extension on the linemen across from him. It translated into only one assisted tackle, but last year's second-round pick looked much more explosive than he did as a rookie.

Jerrel Jernigan has already dealt with plenty of razzing at Giants training camp. The rookie wide receiver has already had to sing in front of his teammates four times. Of course, being embarrassed in front of his teammates is nothing compared to being yelled at by head coach Tom Coughlin after fumbling. That's why the 22-year-old Jernigan continues to say the words "high and tight" in his head after catching punts and kicks during practice.

Kickoff return specialists like the Giants' Domenik Hixon might have a harder time making an NFL roster with more touchbacks this season. For players whose livelihoods are established on kickoff returns, the new rule serves as a hindrance. Hixon wondered if players like him who earned a spot in the league in part because of return ability will now go undetected.

Domenik Hixon returns to New Meadowlands Stadium tonight when the Giants host the Chicago Bears in both teams' second preseason game - "the scene of the crime" as he put it, where he caught his cleat in the new artificial turf in June 2010 and tore his ligament. "I don't think [I'm concerned] at all," he said. "More excited about it than any thing else, it being my first game in the new stadium. ... It just so happens to be our home field, so I'd better get over it pretty quick."

Former Giants
Plaxico Burress catches TD pass in first game back since prison as New York Jets top Bengals, 27-7. After his first reception on the Jets' opening offensive play, good for a 20-yard gain, he walked determinedly downfield. In all, quarterback Mark Sanchez targeted him seven times, as Burress hauled in three catches for 65 yards, playing only the first half.

Aug 21 The Giants have spent more time during training camp with Osi Umenyiora inactive than active. The beneficiaries will be ascending second-year end Jason Pierre-Paul and veteran reserve Dave Tollefson. Pierre-Paul, one of the team's most promising players, recorded two sacks during the first quarter of last week's preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers in Umenyiora's absence.
Some people have even wondered if Pierre-Paul is going to be so good that Umenyiora won't be able to get his old job back when he returns. Pierre-Paul dismissed that talk and said a starting job for him is for "somewhere down the line." He has no worries about unreasonably high expectations, either.
The 2010 first-round pick said he's "just stepping in and filling [Osi Umenyiora's] spot," while his linemate recovers from Friday's arthroscopic surgery to repair cartilage in his right knee. But coaches and teammates expect his new-found starting role to turn Pierre-Paul into the Pro Bowler they project him to become.
Dave Tollefson (5 1/2 career sacks in 47 games) will move into Pierre-Paul's spot temporarily, rotating between right and left end. Beyond that, with Mathias Kiwanuka at linebacker, the other ends in camp are Justin Trattou, Ayanga Okpokowuruk, Craig Marshall and Alex Hall.

Giants coach Tom Coughlin said the starters will get 25 to 30 snaps Monday. QB Sage Rosenfels (strep throat), who missed practice yesterday after working on Friday, will not play. That means QBs David Carr and Ryan Perrilloux will split the snaps after Eli Manning.
Carr and Rosenfels are currently battling it out for the backup QB spot behind Manning. Rosenfels did a great job last season holding for kicker Lawrence Tynes, but Coughlin said he'll make his decision based on "contributions in the meeting room, and all kinds of stuff."

After a mostly pleasant, cool, even-tempered training camp, things finally got heated in the team's final practice yesterday. Twice fights nearly broke out, and one even involved a swinging helmet.
In this corner: a 6-foot, 187-pound, fourth-year defensive back from Memphis, Tenn. In this corner: a 6-2, 200-pound, second-year wide receiver, also from Memphis. With apologies to Michael Buffer: Let's get ready to rumble!

Giants wide receiver Ramses Barden says his leg injury is "getting better" but declined to say when he'll return to practice. He remains on the physically-unable-to-perform list. Barden had surgery in February to help the healing process but he remains out of action. He believes he's close to returning to action but was hesitant to guess when he'll be back. When asked if it was days, weeks or months, he said, "I definitely don't think it's months away."

Aug 20 Special Report - Defensive end Osi Umenyiora insisted his knee hurt, but the Giants' team doctors cleared him to play. Then Friday, one of those team doctors, Russell Warren, consented to do a minor surgical process on his right knee, an "arthroscopic debridement," as it was called. (Debridement - the medical removal of dead, damaged or infected tissue to promote the healing of the remaining healthy tissue.) So who was right and who was wrong, or is all this still about his unhappiness with his contract? Yeah, like that.

Justin Tuck was right. The Osi Umenyiora saga isn't over. In a stunning turn of events, the disgruntled defensive end underwent surgery on his troublesome right knee Friday, just eight days after a specialist agreed with the Giants doctors that he wouldn't need surgery right away.
Instead of working with him, according to a source close to Umenyiora, "they tried to break him." Whether that's true or not, it's clearly the way they made him feel. The broken promise by Reese - which the GM has not denied - was just the start.
So far this training camp, Osi Umenyiora has gone from being at home, to sitting on a bike on the sideline, to going through drills on the side, to practicing on the field with his teammates to lying on an operating table. The Giants' disgruntled defensive end underwent arthroscopic surgery today to repair cartilage damage in his right knee.
Giants coach Tom Coughlin said Osi Umenyiora's decision to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right knee is not a surprise and is not the product of anything abnormal. The Giants and Umenyiora hoped Umenyiora would manage the injury, but apparently that became too difficult for the disgruntled defensive end.

Travis Beckum thinks he can post better numbers than former Giants tight end Kevin Boss did last season. And on Monday against the Bears, he'll get his first chance to prove it. Beckum, who missed last week's preseason opener, pronounced himself ready to go Friday. The third-year man then added that he should be able to eclipse Boss' 35catches last season.
Travis Beckum took serious heat from Kevin Gilbride on Wednesday after running a wrong pattern in practice. "I messed up a play and obviously with him being the offensive coordinator it is his job to be upset about it," Beckum said Friday. "I actually talked to him it and it was just a miscommunication and that's all it was."

Defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy had a workout for the Giants this week and is expected to be signed soon, although the former Vikings player said on VikingUpdate.com he's already signed a one-year contract. "I'm just grateful to be part of a great club who view me as a talented, dominant D-lineman," he said on the website.

It was an odd feeling for Rich Seubert to walk through the Giants' facility today, on his way to accepting an award from the fans for being the 2010 Giants player of the year in their minds. The player of the year for his seamless transition from guard to center and back. A staple in the Giants' locker room since 2001. A fan favorite and a popular person inside the walls of the Timex Performance Center.
Rich Seubert is an example of why you can't blame Osi Umenyiora for trying to get more money out of the Giants or another team if he is traded. One minute you think you've got $2.25 million coming, the next minute you have nothing. "That's football," Seubert said. "Me being hurt and not being able to play, it was either PUP or this. They decided this."
"I've been here 10 years, I haven't been cut once. This is my first time ever being cut. You see guys come and you see guys go. It's the part of the business that nobody likes. Like I said from day one, no hard feelings for the New York Giants."

Aug 19 David Carr is back with the Giants and trying to win back the backup quarterback role. During David Carr's first week of training camp, he sat in the cafeteria with Justin Tuck and some other Giants veterans like he did before he signed with San Francisco after the 2009 season. "So what did I miss?" Carr asked.

Eli Manning said he didn't know that he had caused such a stir with his comments about being in the same class as Tom Brady until his father left him a voicemail. Archie Manning saw how Eli's comments had taken off and he gave his son a heads up.
Manning, on WFAN 660-AM on Wednesday, attempted to explain himself. "What was I supposed to say, 'No, I don't think so?' " He made another attempt yesterday to clear up the matter, speaking on Pro Football Talk's station, PFT Live.

The Giants did not make any sort of splash at all in free agency but the return of Mathias Kiwanuka can be viewed as a vital addition not only to the oft-criticized linebacker position but to the entire attack defense. At 6-5 and 267 pounds, Kiwanuka looks like a defensive end playing linebacker but he said he is confident defensive coordinator Perry Fewell will put him in positions to make game-changing plays.
His versatility gives the coaching staff options with a talented stable of pass-rushers that also includes Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora and Jason Pierre-Paul. "Kiwanuka is out there, and he is our joker," General Manager Jerry Reese said last week, referring to his versatility. "He can play linebacker, he can play as an end and he can play as a tackle inside. He brings a lot of versatility for us and that's what we like about him."

Any other kicker signed this week would have been viewed as a temporary fill-in for Lawrence Tynes, who came out of the preseason opener in Carolina with a right thigh contusion. The signing of Rhys Lloyd, though, is more interesting because of his reputation as a kickoff specialist.

Giants defensive end Justin Trattou, an undrafted free agent from Franklin Lakes, is known for his strong work ethic. He has impressed defensive linemate Dave Tollefson, who also was unheralded coming out of college. "Justin's extremely talented," Tollefson said. "It's awesome to see the improvement in his game every day."

For more than a decade, Chris Snee did not act on his desire to remove the Grim Reaper from his arm. "I've never really cared for it," he said. "Now that I'm a father of three and bring my kids to the local pool, I don't want kids being scared and looking at the tattoo. It has no meaning to me. It's just not me. It was time. I knew if I waited any longer I'd be 40 and it would still be there."

Former Players
Keith Hamilton was a leader and anchor of the Giants defense, earning the nickname "Hammer" from teammates. In becoming New Jersey's most-coveted prep football player since 2005, Darius Hamilton says he wouldn't change a moment of the tumultuous journey he's taken with his father, Keith.

Stadium News
Insurance giant MetLife has inked a definitive agreement to purchase naming rights to the home of the NFL Giants and Jets and the planned cite of the Super Bowl in 2014, sources said. The one-year old, $1.6 billion bowl will be called MetLife Stadium.

Aug 18 Just so everyone in the organization receives a chance to provide their side of the story on Kevin Boss and Steve Smith's departures from the Giants, chairman John Mara spoke about both players leaving during an interview with ESPN Radio today. Mara understood why they left and spoke fondly of both players, but he defended his organization.
Giants' co-owner John Mara on ESPN 1050 yesterday said that the team had an offer on the table for weeks for Steve Smith and the wide receiver's agent never responded. Smith shocked the Giants by signing with the Eagles last week. "Shame on us in a sense for not being more aggressive," Mara said.
"We thought we had a deal agreed to [with Boss]," Mara said. "The agent had verbally committed, pending Kevin's approval. Kevin was actually on a plane on his way to the East coast, and while he was on the plane, he hit the lottery. The Raiders came in and basically doubled the money we were willing to pay."

Eli Manning believes he can be a "single-digit interception guy," like Tom Brady was last year and in 2007. "What you've got to do is cut down on the mental mistakes," Manning said on WFAN. "There are some that are just bad decisions; those are on me. Some are tipped that are not on me, some are tipped because they're high and I'll take (the blame) for those." Coughlin believes the tipped balls can be eliminated at times.
Defending a comparison to Brady, though, wasn't easy. It was particularly tough considering that on the heels of a 25-interception season, Manning was willing to compare himself to a six-time Pro Bowler, three-time champion, and two-time NFL MVP who threw 36 touchdown passes and only four interceptions in 2010.
Few would pick him over Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees or Aaron Rodgers. Title-less Philip Rivers belongs somewhere in the debate. There are also young quarterbacks with brighter futures and there are older quarterbacks, such as Donovan McNabb, who arguably once brought more to the table. So Eli is not Top 5, probably Top 10. That's beside the point, really.
What can't be taken away from Eli is beating Brady and the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII when New England was going for an unbeaten season. On the game's biggest stage, Eli outplayed Brady, leading his team to the game-winning touchdown and capturing MVP honors. But Brady's legacy of greatness was already cemented by then, because he had won three Super Bowls.

In Rhys Lloyd"s workout with the Giants, he went 4 for 4 on field goals. Coach Tom Coughlin made a point to mention this because Lloyd is not just a kickoff specialist. Still, don't expect Lloyd to become the Giants' kicker, a role which will almost assuredly end up with the currently injured Lawrence Tynes. "Let's see what happens," Coughlin said. "Right now, it's a necessity as we go into this guy. he was very impressive in his workout, and we'll see how he goes."

Giants defensive end Justin Tuck sat out practice with a sore Achilles tendon, the team said. Tuck began the workout but was limping early on and remained out of drills. He stood on the side and flipped a ball in the air while his teammates practiced. Elsewhere on the injury front, backup quarterback Sage Rosenfels has been hospitalized at Hackensack Medical Center because of a case of strep throat that has been bothering him since before Saturday's preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers.
An injury to linebacker Michael Boley has allowed rookie Spencer Paysinger to practice with the Giants' first-team defense.It was quite the leap from the third-team, but it was also a jump that was warranted because Paysinger has made some plays in his first NFL training camp. "He's been very impressive, yeah," coach Tom Coughlin said. "Just keep going, get these young guys to keep playing well. Don't hit the wall."

Touchdown. Game over. It was that quick. The Eagles' DeSean Jackson had returned a punt, running untouched through the middle of the Giants special teams coverage and into the end zone, vaulting the Eagles into the lead and putting the finishing touch on the Giants' 21-point fourth quarter collapse last December that essentially cost them the NFC East crown. The value of special teams was never more evident.

Antrel Rolle neither confirmed nor denied allegations that he accepted gifts and paid trips to nightclubs and strip clubs from a University of Miami booster. Rolle was one of 72 athletes named in a report. The report also included fellow Giants safety Kenny Phillips, who allegedly accepted food, drink and entertainment at Nevin Shapiro, a former university booster's home and yacht, and meals at restaurants in the Miami area. Phillips was not available for comment today.
Rolle addressed the allegations and his relationship with Shapiro Wednesday afternoon. He did not issue any direct denial when asked about the veracity of claims in the Yahoo! report. Shapiro, now serving 20 years in federal prison, claims he treated players to sex parties, nightclub outings, cars and other gifts, according to the Yahoo! report.

Former Giants
Kevin Dockery has signed with the Steelers. The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed defensive backs Kevin Dockery and Macho Harris. Dockery, a former Giants cornerback, and Harris are expected to give Pittsburgh's secondary some needed depth.

Aug 17 Giants GM Jerry Reese says he never promised making the playoffs. "We'll make the plays this time and we'll get into the playoffs and we'll make a run," Reese said Thursday. The comment was characterized as Reese providing a Rex Ryan-esque guarantee, which the general manager refuted during an interview with ESPN Radio.

Eli Manning sees himself on Tom Brady's level. Michael Kay of ESPN New York 1050 asked Eli on Tuesday if he was in the same class as Tom Brady. Eli hesitated for a second, and then answered in the affirmative. It's an awkward question to answer.

Giants linebacker Michael Boley and defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul have some issues with their backs. Boley missed practice Tuesday with an undisclosed back problem, while Pierre-Paul had his back tighten up during practice. He had an ice pack applied and did not participate for roughly the final 30 minutes.
Pierre-Paul's issue didn't appear to be serious, as he stood and watched most of practice while holding his helmet in his hand. The severity of Boley's issue was never clarified, and Tom Coughlin won't provide an update until Wednesday.

Shayne Graham obviously wasn't the only kicker in for a workout with the Giants today. Rhys Lloyd was there, too. And Lloyd was apparently more impressive. The Giants announced they signed Lloyd, a kickoff specialist who was a Carolina Panther for the last four seasons. Lloyd will join the team at least until Lawrence Tynes recovers from a bruised thigh suffered in Saturday's preseason opener against the Panthers.

The images are seared into the Giants' collective unconscious, a bitter piece of misery that they just cannot purge. Matt Dodge's line-drive, 36-yard punt drilled directly at DeSean Jackson. Dodge has lived with that humiliation since December. And he could not have handled it better. The 24-year-old punter still is paying for that moment, as he is now locked in a training camp battle with veteran Steve Weatherford for his job. The two punters could not be more different.

Deon Grant brings his valuable leadership back to franchise by re-signing. Grant, 32, signed with the Giants last season as insurance for Kenny Phillips, who was coming off surgery, but expected a starting job. When Phillips was the starter, Grant responded as a model professional both in the locker room and on the field.
With Kenny Phillips one year further removed from knee surgery and saying he is back to full force, there is no starting role open at safety with Phillips and Antrel Rolle locked in. Tyler Sash, a sixth-round pick from Iowa, likely will serve as the fourth safety, with Grant sliding into the role he assumed a year ago.
Grant, who is entering his 11th NFL season, said he turned down several teams he wouldn't identify to return to the Giants. He hinted that one of those teams was the aforementioned Dream Team, although he danced around the question of whether he was contacted by the Eagles.

Osi Umenyiora added to Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka and JPP makes for a Fearsome Foursome. "They make my job a whole lot easier," safety Antrel Rolle said. Umenyiora isn't the first player to play on a contract he thinks is unfair, and he won't be the last. Ask Shaun O'Hara and Rich Seubert about the system. "Is it fair? No," Tuck said. "But there's a lot of things in life that's not."
LT Will Beatty continues to impress as he held his own against Osi Umenyiora for a second straight day. Perhaps it is a combination of Beatty playing well and Umenyiora still getting his legs under him but Beatty has been holding his ground for the most part as the new starting left tackle.
With less than a month to go before the start of the regular season, the Giants have been pleased with their decision to make the left-tackle job Beatty's to lose after four seasons with David Diehl at the spot. Beatty's been fundamentally sound in practice.

Aug 16 Justin Tuck saw Osi Umenyiora this morning and said his disgruntled teammate seemed happy to finally be putting his whole contract mess behind him so he can concentrate on getting ready for the season. Tuck, though, isn't convinced that the whole Osi "saga" is really in the past. "You know, just because he's back on the football field," Tuck said, "doesn't mean this whole saga is over."
With Umenyiora's return, the Giants must now determine how to distribute plays among Tuck, Umenyiora and Pierre-Paul. Pierre-Paul, the Giants' 2010 first-round pick, recorded two sacks in the first quarter of Saturday's preseason game and appears poised to emerge as a feared pass rusher this season.
Umenyiora's also skeptical of the Giants' defensive-line rotation with him, Justin Tuck and Jason Pierre-Paul, according to a source with knowledge of his thinking. Umenyiora didn't like it a few years ago with Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka, and he isn't pumped up about sharing snaps with Pierre-Paul, whom the Giants view as a rising star.

Umenyiora looked healthy and physically imposing, stepping in with the first team at his customary right defensive end spot, where he had 11 1/2 sacks and an NFL-high 10 forced fumbles last season. He may see "a few snaps" Monday when the team plays its next preseason game, facing the Chicago Bears at New Meadowlands Stadium, Coughlin said.
As much as Umenyiora looked pretty good coming off the ball and agile in his pass-rush moves, Giants left tackle Will Beatty handled him very, very well. He nudged him up the field when Umenyiora tried to get the edge and stood his ground when Umenyiora tried to bull rush him.

Domenik Hixon caught punts during Giants practice, a role the wide receiver filled before he suffered a knee injury last spring that sidelined him throughout the 2010 season. "He has that ability to do that but I am not going to make that statement on when he will do that," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. "Certainly not going to do it early. He doesn't have to do it next week, for example."
He was out of practice for 13 months until training camp began this summer, and the Giants' 20-10 loss in Carolina on Saturday night was his first game in nearly two years. He looked like the Hixon of old, too, catching four passes for 49 yards, leaping for one and going fearlessly across the middle for others.
Now that he's healthy again, Hixon also has a chance to become a larger part of the offense. With Steve Smith signing with the Eagles, Hixon will likely get the first crack at replacing Smith as the Giants' third receiver behind starters Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham.

Lawrence Tynes had his right leg wrapped but the best sign was that there were no crutches. Tynes says his bruised right thigh is feeling better and he hopes to kick in practice this week. The Giants play their next preseason game next Monday night against the Bears at home, giving Tynes over a week to heal.

Chris Snee said he wasn't worried about the fact that the offensive line had some communication issues in Saturday's preseason opener. "There's no panic here. We know what we have to fix." Snee acknowledged that there were communication issues, but insisted that they would be resolved with repetition.

Former Giants
Steve Smith says Giants' dawdle let Eagles swoop in. The Giants have only themselves to blame for losing Steve Smith to the hated Eagles.

Aug 15 Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes has a bruised thigh, an MRI confirmed. Coach Tom Coughlin did not predict how long Tynes will be sidelined. The injury occurred at the end of a blocked field goal in Saturday's 20-10 loss to the Panthers when rookie tackle James Brewer appeared to miss a blocking assignment. Coughlin would not confirm the player who missed the assignment was Brewer.

The Giants who matter took their cue from general manager Jerry Reese and snoozed through the exhibition opener last night. With the notable exception of defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, who mauled the Panthers for two sacks in barely one quarter of work, Big Blue looked as sleepy as Reese's recent roster management in a 20-10 loss at rainy Bank of America Stadium.
It was almost funny the other day when Eli Manning either playfully or obliviously kept repeating, "I'm not concerned," when asked about losing Kevin Boss and Steve Smith. Another poll needs to be taken after Manning's shaky preseason debut in which he completed 4 of 9 passes for 36 yards. He was on the field longer than expected - five series - but did not produce a point, did not move the football, did not look sharp and did look as if he needed more help.

The Giants entered the post-lockout life with the priority of finding a center. David Baas' signing headlined the Giants' maligned free agency period, and the five-year, $27.5 million contract was offered so Baas can solidify the middle of the Giants' offensive line for the foreseeable future. Baas spoke earlier in the week about getting used to different calls and trusting the players around him.

There was no wide-eyed amazement when Tyler Sash was hit by a "Welcome to the NFL" moment that he will always remember and no doubt would like to forget. "It's disappointing to go in there your first play, you're all hyped up to get in there, and it's a touchdown," Sash said. Sash is not merely a sixth-round draft pick trying to make the final roster. He is in line for duty as the third safety, which in defensive coordinator Perry Fewell's scheme could mean significant playing time.

The standoff is over and Osi Umenyiora has surrendered. And no, he's not happy about it at all. Having gained nothing but a couple of extra weeks of rest, a bad reputation among fans, and perhaps the satisfaction of making a point, the disgruntled defensive end announced Sunday that he will finally return to practice with the Giants Monday. Not only that, but he'll return to play under his old, unwanted contract.
He had been out of action because of a lingering knee issue, though the real reason he was sitting out was his public contract pout. Umenyiora isn't even trying to hide his reasons anymore. "No deal has been reworked. What has been offered has been unacceptable and shows they don't really respect the fact I sacrifice my health for the franchise," Umenyiora wrote in an email to The Associated Press yesterday. "I will play under my current deal because I love and respect my Coaches, my teammates, the fans, and myself. Not for those incentives."
Osi wants RESPECT. Umenyiora believes he sacrificed his body last year when he had 11.5 sacks and 10 forced fumbles while playing with a painful hip injury that required offseason surgery with the idea that he would get a raise. That means there's always the potential for a flare up, whether it be with his knee or something else, this season.

Aug 14 Giants lose to the Panthers, 20-10    |    Photos  |  Photos

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On The Game: Preseason Game 1 Gamegirl "...Going into tonight's game, I don't know if the word 'consistency' was something to be expected after dealing with this strange NFL offseason. Tonight the Giants lost to a team that finished 2-14 and played without five of their starters. Not very encouraging......" Mikefan. "...With the lack of offseason training, this becomes a tough season to break in new starters and expect good resullts. Players stepping up will have to be counted on to be fast learners as well as good performers. Except for Jason Pierre-Paul, it didn't happen tonight..."

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ESPN - Cam Newton, Jimmy Clausen both lead Panthers past Giants.
ESPN - Rapid Reaction: Panthers 20, Giants 10.
Giants.com - Giants fall to Panthers, 20-10.
StarLedger - Giants open preseason with 20-10 loss to the Carolina Panthers.
StarLedger - Giants vs. Carolina Panthers: Jason Pierre-Paul is Giants' bright spot in 20-10 loss.
StarLedger - Giants vs. Carolina Panthers: Three things we learned.
Star Ledger - Giants' Lawrence Tynes says his thigh, not knee was hurt in collision.
NYDailyNews - Giants fall to Panthers 20-10 in preseason opener but show life without Osi Umenyiora not scary.
NYDailyNews - Lawrence Tynes not happy flag was not thrown on play he was injured.
NYPOST - Manning, Giants' offense struggle in preseason loss to Panthers.
NYPOST - Rough debut for safety Sash.
Record - Jason Pierre-Paul shines in Giants' loss.
CharlotteObserver - Fans have reasons to cheer; Panthers might be interesting.
CharlotteObserver - 5 thoughts on Panthers' 20-10 preseason win over Giants.

Former Giants
Plaxico Burress describes his journey from Super Bowl hero to the Latin Quarter to the Oneida Correctional Facility to the Jets on Tuesday night in a compelling interview on HBO's "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel."

Aug 13 Jerry Reese has been the general manager of the Giants for four years. The Giants are 40-24 in those years, not including playoffs. If you would like to include the playoffs, you should probably mention the fact that the team won Super Bowl XLII on his watch, though the hysterical element of the fan base would rather focus on the playoff record of the last two years, which is 0-0.

Justin Tuck is growing tired of hearing about how unbeatable the Eagles are now that they've hit the free-agency sweepstakes. Day after day, as the Eagles sign one marquee player after another, Tuck is asked how the Giants hope to compete with their NFC East rival. The last straw came yesterday, when Tuck was asked about Steve Smith leaving the Giants for the Eagles.

Steve Smith denied reports that he was offered a a five-year, $35-million contract with $15 million guaranteed last year by the Giants. Smith, however, did not say whether or not the Giants ever did make him a sizeable offer last year, weeks before he suffered his knee injury which required microfracture surgery.

"I'm not concerned," Manning said, smiling. "I'm not concerned about anything." Manning should be worried, considering the combined 83 catches and eight receiving touchdowns by tight end Kevin Boss and Pro Bowl slot receiver Steve Smith last season will have to come from someone else this year - if they come at all - with Boss now in Oakland and Smith a freshly minted Philadelphia Eagle.

Marvin Austin, 22, will play his first game tonight with the Giants, who open their preseason schedule at the Carolina Panthers. He returns to the state where he became an NFL prospect -- and where his dream nearly evaporated under a cloud of "character issues." "I'm very anxious to play in the first game," he said coyly.

It's just the first of four preseason games, but Saturday night's 8 p.m. match up against the New York Giants offers several intriguing storylines. There's bound to be some confusion on both sides of the first preseason game, but the Panthers have stressed being aggressive, not just in their playcalling but in their approach to the game. Expect the Giants to pick at the cornerbacks early and often.

Former Giants
Don Chandler, a kicker and punter who was part of four championship teams with the Giants and Green Bay Packers, has died. He was 76.

Aug 12 Giants general manager Jerry Reese insisted that the Giants are sticking to their "game plan" during free agency and made "responsible offers" to the free agents who left the team, such as Steve Smith and Kevin Boss. He remained defiant when asked about the criticism that the Giants are standing still, emphasizing that the team sured up their No. 1 priority (signing center David Baas) and do not look to make the "sexy" transaction.
Jerry Reese finally climbed out of his bunker to address his team's turbulent offseason, and it turns out, the general manager's inability to keep his own players isn't the problem with the Giants. You're the problem. You, the outraged fans, just don't understand the process. Those were his exact words, in fact, when asked yesterday about the criticism aimed at the job he's done this abbreviated offseason.
"We won 10 games last year, it wasn't like we were 6-10, we were 10-6, we expect to build off that," Reese said. "We made a couple of plays last year we'd have been in the playoffs and who knows what would have happened but it didn't happen, so we'll make the plays this time and we'll get in the playoffs and we'll make a run."

The reverberations from free agent wide receiver Steve Smith joining their hated rivals in the NFC East were still being felt Thursday at Giants camp, with coach Tom Coughlin fuming that Big Blue was left out of the negotiating process altogether, despite Smith spending two days with the team before his shocking move down the turnpike with the Eagles.
Smith's camp would surely counter by saying the Giants were brought into the discussion before the lockout began and during the first few weeks of free agency once it was lifted. The Giants made an offer but indications are it wasn't anywhere near what the Eagles threw Smith's way.
The Giants believed wide receiver Steve Smith would give them a chance to match any offer he received on the free-agent market. But Smith's agent said that wasn't the case and that Smith received better short- and long-term promises from the Eagles. Coughlin admitted the Giants approached the Smith negotiations "conservatively" but were never told their offer was too low and needed to be higher.
Steve Smith was in the building and the Giants let him leave without a contract. The Giants broke the No. 1 rule of free agency: If you have a player you want in the office, block the door, keep negotiating, but don't let him exit because there is never any guarantee he will come back.

Jerrel Jernigan will be one of the receivers trying to replace the departed Steve Smith for the Giants. The Giants took Jerrel Jernigan in the third round of April's draft particularly for the purpose of playing slot receiver and even granted him Smith's No. 12 yesterday morning. Jernigan said it's coincidence that Smith wore the number, and he was offered it because 1+2=3, and his college number was 3.
Perhaps the most intriguing candidate for the slot position is Victor Cruz, the undrafted second-year wideout out of UMass. Cruz, a Paterson, N.J. native, created quite a buzz in his rookie preseason when he caught six passes for 145 yards and three touchdowns in a Monday night game against the Jets. He made the team and appeared in three games early in the season (without a catch) before missing the rest of the season with a hamstring injury.

Thursday's practice was the Giants' final one before their first game action of the season -- Friday is a travel day -- so the Giants did not practice in full pads. As for what to expect on Saturday night, Coughlin said the plan is for the first-teamers to play 15-18 snaps against the Panthers, before handing things over to the backups.

One position on the Giants that is definitely yet to be determined? The team's starting punter. The incumbent, Matt Dodge, and free agent signee Steve Weatherford both still have a shot, special teams coach Tom Quinn said on Thursday. Quinn also said that the team's four preseason games, starting on Saturday night at Carolina, will be critical for both Dodge and Weatherford.

Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora received a positive report from a knee specialist in Atlanta and could return to action on Monday if the Giants' medical and training staffs concur. The Giants fly to Carolina Friday for a matchup with the Panthers on Saturday. Umenyiora will not accompany the team on the trip but could be ready to practice on Monday.

Aug 11 The way Giants coach Tom Coughlin was talking Wednesday morning, the re-signing of Steve Smith was a formality waiting to happen and the real key was getting the valuable but injured receiver back onto the field as soon as possible. "It's going to be kind of a long haul for Steve," Coughlin said. "Hopefully we can cut through some of that and see where it goes. That's all I can say. He looks good, though." Shockingly, Smith's recovery and whatever "long haul" he faces is no longer the concern of the Giants.
The Eagles are apparently willing to wait. In a stunning turn of events, Smith left the Giants on Tuesday, travelled down the Turnpike, and signed with the Philadelphia Eagles a little while ago. He's still recovering, but the Eagles were obviously more convinced that he could be a help to them this season than the Giants were. So they offered him a one-year, $4 million contract with $2 million in guaranteed money -- or what a source familiar with his situation said was "way, way more" than the Giants were willing to pay.

Steve Smith is only eight months removed from microfracture surgery on his knee after suffering damage to the articular cartilage in the joint in a game against the Vikings last December. The Giants obviously believed he had, as Tom Coughlin said today, "a ways to go." But someone informed of the Eagles' thinking said the results of their examinations were "pretty good." The person, who asked not to be named because the team hasn't spoken about Smith's medical issues, said the Eagles expect Smith to contribute "early in the season."
Smith blasted the Giants on his Facebook page, writing "... the Eagles wanted me to be part of their organization MUCH more than the Giants did." But he thanked the team on a conference call for drafting him. "This is a business, man, and it's tough ...," said Smith, who met with the Giants on Monday and Tuesday. "I don't feel disrespected. The Eagles, they really pushed hard." The Giants face the Eagles on Sept. 25 in Philadelphia.
It is a dagger to the heart of Giant fans already beside themselves over the loss of Plaxico Burress to the Jets and Kevin Boss to the Raiders and the absence of any free-agent splash from GM Jerry Reese at a time when the Eagles are swooping down and grabbing a slew of marquee names. This brazen heist, from right under Big Blue's nose, will only ratchet up the white-hot rivalry between the teams and cause consternation, if not shock, within the walls of the Timex Performance Center.

Osi Umenyiora did not practice with the New York Giants on Wednesday but he did perform some individual pass-rushing drills on the side for the first time during a practice. A day before he is expected to consult with a specialist in Atlanta about his sore knee, Umenyiora looked like he could chase a quarterback right now if he wanted to. He got down in a three-point stance and proceeded to explode out of his stance as he worked on his pass-rushing skills with a trainer.
Umenyiora even pantomimed the strip-sack maneuver he should trademark, considering he's coming off a season in which he set an NFL record with 10 forced fumbles. If his left knee was ailing he sure did a great job of hiding any discomfort or impairment. After examining Umenyiora, the Giants believe he can play through the cartilage issues in his left knee.

The darting cuts. The explosive release. The charging pursuit. It was all there. Osi Umenyiora's infamous "sore" left knee looked awfully healthy Wednesday afternoon, as the Giants' defensive end worked on pass rushing moves by himself while his teammates practiced just yards away. The 15-minute workout appeared to be at full speed and involved lateral movement, supervised by a team trainer.
The most talked-about defensive end so far in Giants training camp has been Osi Umenyiora -- who has yet to participate in a practice. On the flip side, there hasn't been enough talk about the player currently replacing Umenyiora on the right end of the Giants' starting D-line: Jason Pierre-Paul. The second-year player from South Florida continues to open eyes in his second NFL training camp.

The Giants will again practice at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, and barring inclement weather that would force the practice indoors, it will again be open to the public. The Giants' secondary was the unit of the day on Wednesday, as it looked outstanding -- particularly the first-teamers. Safety Kenny Phillips had an interception of Eli Manning on a pass intended for Bear Pascoe in 1-on-1 drills. Later on, during an 11-on-11 session, Phillips had a nice breakup of a pass to Victor Cruz.
Corey Webster made an outstanding play on a fade ball to WR Domenik Hixon up the right sideline. He had an off-balance leap to knock the ball away with one hand. That's an incredibly tough play to make, which is why S Antrel Rolle celebrated with Webster by doing the leaping hip bump thing.

The Giants' offensive line has undergone a major transformation this preseason. Gone are veteran stalwarts Shaun O'Hara and Rich Seubert. They have been replaced by David Baas and Will Beatty. And longtime starter David Diehl has shifted from left tackle to left guard, to make way for Beatty. But Diehl said on Wednesday that the new offensive line is coming along very nicely so far.

The Giants currently have five tight ends listed on their training camp roster: Jake Ballard, Travis Beckum, Daniel Coats, Christian Hopkins and Bear Pascoe. Combined, the five of them have 61 career NFL receptions. Only three of them have even recorded a single catch in the league. Only one of them, Coats, has more than two NFL seasons under his belt -- and Coats just signed with the Giants three days ago!

Before he signed with the Giants, Chris Canty had not played in a 4-3 defensive alignment in nine years. During that span was five years at the University of Virginia and four seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, all of which were spent in the 3-4 defense. To complicate the adjustment, Canty suffered a hamstring tear early in his first training camp that sidelined him the entire preseason and a calf injury in the 2009 opener that slowed him that year. And now that he has a better sense of his responsibilities, Canty anticipates the third year becoming the best yet.

Darius Reynaud has run solid routes, shown good hands and made plays down the field: a deep ball up the sideline from quarterback Ryan Perrilloux and a leaping, spinning touchdown catch on a stop-and-go route that fooled Antrel Rolle and Aaron Ross.