Team Giants History

Oct 10 Giants lose to Green Bay 23-16 | Video | Photos | Photos

On The Game: Game 5
Gamegirl ---"I was really hoping when Manning hit Beckham for a touchdown to make it a 23-16 game, that they could bring it home this time, but that didn't happen..."
Mikefan. ---"The best I can say is that the Giants looked a little better in this loss than the others, but that's not enough. Winning football games is what it's all about, and maybe playing the Ravens in a home game next Sunday during daylight hours will give them a boost..."

ESPN - Offense choppy, Packers D gets to Giants in 23-16 win.
Giants.com - Instant Analysis: Packers 23, Giants 16.
NYDailyNews - Eli Manning and Giants offense have all sorts of problems in loss.
NYDailyNews - Giants suffer third straight loss as Packers embarrass Big Blue.
NYDailyNews - Janoris Jenkins records Giants' first two interceptions of season.
NYDailyNews - Odell Beckham Jr. hugs kicking net after scoring TD for Giants.
NYPost - This was Eli Manning at his worst in Giants' third straight loss.
NYPost - Victor Cruz, Sterling Shepard went missing at worst time.
NYPost - Janoris Jenkins lone bright spot in Giants' depleted secondary.
NYPost - Only two people can fix Giants' broken offense right now.
StarLedger - Breakout game? Giants' offense horrid in loss to Packers.
StarLedger - Lineman's defiant boast: Last-place Giants are feared, 'best team' in NFC East
StarLedger - Tackle Ereck Flowers shoves ESPN reporter in locker room after loss.
StarLedger - What's wrong with the Giants' offense?
TheRecord - Giants fail to make a statement in 23-16 loss to Packers.
InsideFootball - Giants Sputter in 23-16 Sunday Night Loss to Packers.
BigBlueInteractive - Green Bay Packers 23 - New York Giants 16.
Newsday - Giants' offensive woes continue in loss to Packers, their third in a row.
Newsday - Giants get two picks by Janoris Jenkins, but other turnover chances slip away.
Newsday - Odell Beckham Jr. displays net gains, keeps cool, makes TD catch.
Newsday - Giants' offensive woes continue in loss to Packers, their third in a row.
Newsday - Eli Manning's struggles continue in loss to Packers.
JournalSentinel - Thumbs up to pass defense.
GreenBayPressGazette - Packers turn tables on Manning, Giants.

Giants (2-2) vs Packers (2-1) Game Preview
The Packers were on a bye last week, and maybe it was good that they had time to reflect. The week prior, they let a 31-3 lead slip to a one touchdown 34-27 score. Aaron Rodgers, scrambling for 11 yards and a first down, is all that kept the Lions off the field for one last shot to tie the score.
The Giants had hoped to get back on track after losing their first game of the season to Washington. It didn't happen last Monday night in Minnesota. Their same bad habits; giving up big plays, turnovers, and penalties, continued as they took a 24-10 loss.
Giants - Vikings Wrap-Up

Oct 9 This return trip to Lambeau Field - the Giants' first since the 2011 playoffs and their divisional upset of the then-reigning Super Bowl champion Packers - represents a potential turning point in a season that already has gone through some turns and promises to take a few more before it is over.

Beckham, Eli Manning and the Giants offense could have a huge passing night against the Packers on Sunday: Green Bay veteran corner Sam Shields is out, and the next corner up, Damarious Randall, is questionable. If Beckham continues his sideshow, though, there will be an appropriate amount of conversation about any on-field success, and frankly, there probably won't be a Giants win at Lambeau Field, in Beckham's first-ever trip to the hallowed Midwest gridiron.

Should the Giants attempt to find offensive balance or should they make this a pass-heavy game all the way? The Giants are a middling rushing team (19th ranked) but could have Rashad Jennings back after he missed the past two games with a left thumb injury - added to Orleans Darkwa, Bobby Rainey and rookie Paul Perkins. Handing these running backs the ball might be akin to having them plow into a brick wall. The Packers are No. 1 in the league in run defense,

Oct 8 This past offseason, the New York Giants invested $95 million in contracts given to defensive ends Jason Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon. Based on the snap counts logged by each man, it seems the Giants are determined to squeeze every last penny out of those two.
The Giants need home-run hitters, and Pierre-Paul and Vernon are stroking singles and doubles. Spagnuolo did not agree with that analogy, but also acknowledged, "I think they would tell you, because they are prideful men, that they would like to step it up."

No nostaglia for Ben McAdoo about playing Packers. Justin Pugh said McAdoo has been "stoic" about his return, but knows that is just a front. "Obviously deep down there's a little extra," Pugh said. "You go back and you're going against the team that you used to coach and city you used to live in. There's no way around that."

Odell Beckham's wallet has taken a hit as a result of his Minny Meltdown. The Giants wide receiver was fined $24,309 for his unsportsmanlike conduct (taunting) penalty against Xavier Rhodes in the Giants' 24-10 loss to the Vikings on Monday.
Beckham has been racking up the fines this season. He was hit with a $36,000 fine for a blindside hit on Saints safety Kenny Vaccaro in Week 2 and he got a $12,154 fine in Week 1 for excessive celebration after a Victor Cruz touchdown. CBS Sports reported that Beckham plans to appeal both of those fines.

Oct 7 Cloud of Odell Beckham drama has covered Giants' mediocre defense. So far, Jerry Reese's latest and greatest "rebuilt" defense is once again letting the entire team down, and it's desperately searching for a way to turn things around this Sunday night against Aaron Rodgers and the high-powered Packers.
Veteran Packers beat writer Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel provided an inside look at the Giants through the opinions of scouts and personnel executives. While it's a great way for Packers fan to learn, it also gives Giants fans an unfiltered assessment of their team.

Odell Beckham Jr. wants to be a role model, not a distraction. A contrite Beckham vowed Thursday to clean up his behavior after a spate of recent incidents that have tested the Giants' patience with their star wide receiver.
Beckham looks ready to move forward with a more mature attitude. The test will be when he gets into a game situation that requires him to rise above the temptation to act out. Then and only then will we get a true gauge of whether his heartfelt words Thursday will translate to changed behavior.
WFAN host Mike Francesa asked if McAdoo thinks he has Beckham under control; McAdoo said he is focused on winning in Green Bay. "I think you guys are doing a lousy job with him," Francesa said, comparing the situation to the tenure of tight end Jeremy Shockey that eventually spoiled.

Oct 6 Goading Odell Beckham may become part of opposition's game plan. Very few cornerbacks in the NFL can handle him as a pure receiver, but there are clearly ways to throw him off his game. Xavier Rhodes of the Vikings proved that the other night for the Vikings.
The NFL has instructed officials to be on the lookout for defensive players that will try to "bait" the Giants' tempestuous wide receiver into another emotional meltdown. And McAdoo said it's entirely possible someone will send a goon, or their checking line, out to go straight at Beckham.
Every sports commentator with a microphone or Internet access this week has seemingly weighed in on Beckham, from his former coach Tom Coughlin to Brett Favre to Dez Bryant. They all dissect how Beckham's emotions shape his play, whether it is good or bad for the Giants.

Teammates have publicly supported Beckham since his emotions became a hot-button issue last week. Giants coach Ben McAdoo stressed the importance of unity in a team meeting on Wednesday. "I think today was our best meeting as a team," offensive lineman Justin Pugh said.
McAdoo is correct: the roster is what it is, and these very same players who have contributed to the two-game slide by committing ill-timed penalties or costly turnovers are the very same players who, if they band together and sharpen their focus, can get the Giants back on the right track.

Oct 5 Odell Beckham Jr., whose temper got the best of him again in a 24-10 loss to the Vikings on Monday night, told ESPN Radio on Tuesday he is "not having fun anymore" on the field, and is "frustrated" by his limited opportunities of late.
Odell Beckham Jr. regularly has described his distaste for losing. Apparently, he has found something worse: losing without getting a chance to help the team win.
According to ESPN, the Giants have targeted Beckham Jr. just eight times in the first quarters of the first four games of this season.
It turns out his Achilles' heel is inside his head. Even if he doesn't believe it or is willing to admit as much. Consider: In three of his last five games, Beckham has lost his cool.
Ben McAdoo defended Beckham against assertions that the wide receiver is developing a history for senseless penalties and an inability to control his emotions.
Eli Manning, who rarely says anything critical, now for two straight weeks has gone on record criticizing Beckham's behavior. GM Jerry Reese knew very well that at least six or seven reporters were watching when he sat down for a long talk with Beckham in a mostly empty locker room.

A look at questions facing the Giants following their 24-10 loss to the Vikings as they head to Lambeau Field. How does Odell Beckham Jr. find a way to get past the "me-against-the-world" mentality? Will the secondary get any healthier to face Rodgers and the Packers?

The beaten-up Giants' secondary could use some help Sunday night in Green Bay against Aaron Rodgers, and Ben McAdoo is hopeful a few of his injured defensive backs can return. McAdoo said cornerbacks Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (groin) and Eli Apple (hamstring) will practice on a limited basis Wednesday.

Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said that defensive ends Jason Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon need to play fewer snaps. Maybe Spagnuolo meant next week, because the defensive ends again played nearly every snap in the Giants' 24-10 loss to the Vikings.

Former Giants
Tom Coughlin joined the club - the Odell-Beckham-Jr.-needs-to-grow-up club. The former Giants coach said the superstar wide receiver has to learn how to control his emotions "for his own good."
Tom Coughlin is fond of Odell Beckham Jr., but the former Giants coach did not pull any punches during a television appearance when asked about the star wideout's latest meltdown.
Tom Coughlin coached Beckham in 2014-15, his final two seasons as the Giants' coach before stepping down. Under Coughlin, Beckham flourished as a wide receiver.

Oct 4 Giants lose to the Vikings 24-10 | Video | Photos | Photos

On The Game: Game 4
Gamegirl ---In the first two games the Giants struggled, had turnovers and all, but were able to get their act together. Then, against Washington, they lost it in more ways than one. Tonight, against the Vikings, they played like they were in a trance or forgot to eat their Wheaties..."
Mikefan. ---"No one expected the Giants to win and they played up (or down) to those expectations. They looked like they were sleepwalking through most of this game. There was just no spark on the field, no fire..."

ESPN - Vikings deny Beckham, mystify Manning in 24-10 win vs. NYG.
Giants.com - Instant Analysis: Giants vs. Vikings.
Giants.cpm - Giants offense searches for answers; Vikins win 24-10.
NYDailyNews - Giants offense can't click in 24-10 loss to Vikings.
NYDailyNews - Odell Beckham loses cool with Vikings' Xavier Rhodes playing the role of Josh Norman.
NYDailyNews - Odell Beckham shakes hands with soldiers as they leave Vikings field Monday night.
NYPost - Giants look lost in dismal defeat with darker road still ahead.
NYPost - Costly mistakes force Giants to take another step backward.
NYPost - Giants' expensive new defense still coming up empty-handed.
NYPost - Larry Donnell blasted out of game on brutal blow
StarLedger - Similar script in Giants' 24-10 loss to Vikings | Rapid reaction.
StarLedger - Eli Manning report card: How did QB grade out in Giants' loss to Vikings?
StarLedger - Odell Beckham's postgame rant: Refs are 'all against me'.
TheRecord - Giants no match for Vikings in 24-10 loss.
Newsday - Eli Manning, Giants have trouble with noise in Minneapolis.
BigBlueInteractive - Minnesota Vikings 24 - New York Giants 10.
Startribune - Vikings Rapid Reaction.
Startribune - Adam Thielen's value to Vikings shows up again.

Giants (2-1) vs Vikings (3-0) Game Preview
Last week the Vikings traveled to Carolina and they were down 10-2 at the end of the first quarter. The Panthers had won their last 14 home games, but the Vikings did not allow any more points to be scored in that game. The Vikings now own a 3-0 record after defeating the Carolina Panthers 22-10.
The Giants were off to a good start this season after winning their first two games. Last week they did themselves in with turnovers and penalties, and by giving up big plays to the Redskins. The end result was a 29-27 home loss to the Washington Redskins.
Giants - Washington Wrap-Up

Oct 3 The Giants set a goal of averaging 28 points per game, and so far this season they haven't even scored that in a single game. Their average is a relatively low 21.0 heading into Monday night's game at Minnesota, but their confidence is much higher.

The Giants face their biggest challenge of the season on Monday night. Coming off their first loss and with a number of key players sidelined by injuries, the Giants (2-1) travel to Minnesota to face the 3-0 Vikings at raucous U.S. Bank Stadium. The odds are stacked against a Giants win, but it's not impossible task. Here are five things the Giants must do to beat the Vikings.

NFC East News
Redskins lean on opportunistic second-half defense to beat Browns, 31-20.
Cowboys beat 49ers 24-17, Coming back from two touchdown deficit.

Oct 2 With Shane Vereen sidelined for at least a few months if not the rest of the season with a triceps injury and Rashad Jennings listed as questionable while dealing with a thumb injury that kept him out of last week's game against Washington, Darkwa is in line to be the Giants' starting running back on Monday night against the Vikings.

Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul said he'll only come out of games if he is feeling tired. Clearly, Pierre-Paul has been feeling fresh during the first three games of this season. Pierre-Paul has played 206 of the Giants' 211 defensive snaps (97.6 percent) this season. That's highest usage of any defensive end in the NFL, according to sportingcharts.com.

When the decibels inside U.S. Bank Stadium had finally quieted down, T.J. Clemmings could still hear the noise. Vikings fans took their lumps in the aftermath of that game for maintaining their mania even when the home team was trying to operate its offense, and Clemmings and the rest of his offensive linemen surely hope the home crowd shows a little more awareness Monday night.

Oct 1 Giants haven't come close to reaching offense's potential: Victor Cruz. Even with Eli Manning directing one of the league's most talented receiving corps, the Giants haven't yet become the juggernaut offense imagined if Cruz and Shepard played so well so quickly.

Vikings' new stadium won't be easy on Giants' ears. U.S. Bank Stadium proving to be an acoustic nightmare for opponents Ben McAdoo was an assistant with the Packers and every year he would have to play a road game against the Vikings in the deafening MetroDome. "I don't know if you can get any louder than that building there," he said. He's about to find out.

With injuries tearing away at the safety position for the second year in a row, the New York Giants will hold workouts Sunday morning before they depart for Minnesota in hopes of adding some depth. Among those the NFL Network reported are scheduled to work out Sunday include 31-year-old Donte Whitner and Shamiel Gary.

Sept 30 Instead of going after kicking nets, perhaps Odell Beckham Jr. will get the chance to hit someone as a safety. Giants head coach Ben McAdoo wouldn't rule it out, as injuries have gotten so bad with Big Blue he is already working out offensive players on defense in Week 4.

The Giants have played three games decided by a combined six points. Odell Beckham Jr. has had about enough of that. "I don't really want to play these games where we're sitting here and trying to fight all game," the star receiver said. "Going through adversity is great, but every single game? It doesn't need to be like that. It doesn't need to be a nail-biter or come down to the fourth quarter."

Beckham's temperament is once again in the spotlight after the Giants' 29-27 loss to Washington on Sunday, during which the receiver's frustrations boiled over on the sideline in the second half. While many athletes often consult sports psychologists to improve their performance, Beckham said he doesn't feel he needs the help.

With all due respect to anyone who thinks he's a distraction, New York Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. disagrees. Beckham brushed off any questions regarding Ben McAdoo's comments about the receiver needing to do a better job controlling himself in and outside of the white lines, instead choosing to talk about the Giants' upcoming game against Minnesota Monday night.

After receiving three targets during the first three quarters against the Redskins last weekend, Beckham made five fourth-quarter catches and finished with 121 yards, but his late stretch of success wasn't enough to prevent the Giants from losing. Days later, Beckham still wondered why it took so long for the Giants to utilize the attack that appeared unstoppable.

Sept 29 Orleans Darkwa smiled at the suggestion of starting on Monday Night Football. From the time he went undrafted out of Tulane, this was his mission, to be a key contributor for an offense.
Rashad Jennings said his injured thumb is feeling much better and he expects to fully practice with the team on Thursday. Jennings, who missed Sunday's loss to the Redskins, said he will leave all major decisions up to the team's medical staff, but he feels like he can play Monday in Minnesota.

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie said Wednesday that he "definitely" believes he will be able to play in the Giants' upcoming Monday Night Football road test in Minnesota, despite a groin injury that sidelined the veteran corner mid-game from last Sunday's 29-27 home loss to Washington.

Odell Beckham Jr. is beginning to have more in common with Terrell Owens than explosive plays and being known by his initials. Beckham has become a look-at-me diva wide receiver who melts down on the sideline when things are not going his way. That's Owens.
Victor Cruz said Odell Beckham Jr. needs to "understand what he means to this team and how his energy affects everyone," and Cruz vowed to act as "a friend and a brother" to the hot-headed receiver.

Sept 28 So much changed when Eli Manning and the Giants self-destructed and gave the now-1-2 Redskins renewed hope and life and blew a chance to get to 3-0. The rookie head coach of the Giants suddenly finds himself forced to confront a slew of formidable clear and present dangers.

Ben McAdoo raised some eyebrows Monday when he referred to wideout Odell Beckham Jr.'s sideline tantrum during the Giants' loss to the Redskins as a distraction for Beckham, and the team.
McAdoo said the coaching staff must help Beckham's "maturing" process. But Beckham is going to have to meet his coach halfway and lighten McAdoo's load in the hand-holding department.

Giants out to prove the Washington loss was an aberration. The way the Giants see it, they're still undefeated. They beat the Cowboys, they beat the Saints, and then they beat themselves.

Some teams may be terrified of playing without their two top running backs. The Giants seem to be excited about the prospect. Orleans Darkwa could emerge as the heavy lifter in the backfield this week against the Vikings.

Michael Hunter has to hope his stay on the Giants' 53-man roster is longer this time around. Hunter will be re-signed to the Giants' 53-man roster. Hunter is expected to fill the roster spot opened by running back Shane Vereen being placed on injured reserve.

Sept 27 Special Report - The Giants' golden opportunity turned into a nightmare Sunday when they found a way - and there is no doubt they seemed to be looking for one - to lose to the Washington Redskins, 29-27. Now the nightmare hit another tier when it was disclosed that running back Shane Vereen, their leading rusher, will be lost for the remainder of the season with a torn triceps muscle injury that will require surgery.

The Giants steered clear of injuries in the preseason, but they are getting hit with them now that the real games are here. They learned Monday they lost Vereen, their most versatile running back, to a triceps injury that will require surgery and likely end his season, suddenly thrusting a position of depth into a position of concern.

The Giants got what they wanted out of Odell Beckham Jr. on Sunday when he was on the field. He caught seven passes for 121 yards and stayed away from any altercations with nemesis Josh Norman. Off the field, though, was a different story.

The NFL landscape can change in the blink of an Odell Beckham Jr. tantrum. Sorry, Giants fans, better hold off on any coronation of your New York Football Giants as NFC East champs. So much changed Sunday when Eli Manning and the Giants self-destructed and gave the now 1-2 Redskins renewed hope and life and blew a chance to get to 3-0.

Sept 26 Giants lose to the Redskins 29-27 | Video | Photos | Photos

On The Game: Game 3
Gamegirl ---I can't believe the Giants played such a sloppy game today. There were so many penalties, and there were opportunities to win this one, including a last minute comeback, but Eli Manning couldn't pull that off this time."
Mikefan. ---"the Giants defense had played well in the first two games, but they didn't hold up today, as Washington hit them for some big plays. That coupled with injures, poor decisions by some players, and questionable coaching choices, added up to a loss."

ESPN - Hopkins' 5th field goal gives Redskins 29-27 win over Giants.
Giants.com - Instant Analysis: Giants vs. Redskins.
Giants.com - What does this loss mean for the Giants?
NYDailyNews - Giants penalties play second fiddle to Eli Manning's meltdown.
NYDailyNews - Odell Beckham abides but rest of Giants lose cool vs. Washington.
NYDailyNews - Josh Norman shows exuberance after beating Odell Beckham, Giants.
NYDailyNews - Washington players raise fists during anthem before Giants game.
NYPost - Giants rookie thought he was doing job on costly personal foul.
NYPost - That $200M hasn't fixed Giants' recurring nightmare.
NYPost - Why Giants were panicked about the wrong blow-up.
NYPost - Giants' kicked-out center accuses ref of targeting him.
NYPost - Eli Manning blinks last as Giants can't beat Josh Norman.
NYPost - Giants report card: Flat 'F' for crippling unit.
NYPost - Josh Norman got torched and is walking on air.
NYPost - Drew Brees can't explain Saints offense's shocking 180.
NYPost - Unflinching Josh Brown betrays no contrition in ex-wife answers.
StarLedger - Odell Beckham Jr. still can't control his emotions, and that's a Giant problem.
StarLedger - Eli Manning report card in Giants' 29-27 loss to Redskins.
StarLedger - Ben McAdoo takes the blame for Giants' meltdown loss to Redskins.
StarLedger - Giants' Odell Beckham Jr.: Refs threatened to eject me for doing 'anything'.
StarLedger - Ejected Giants OL Weston Richburg says official was 'after me'.
StarLedger - Redskins' Josh Norman avoids controversy in rematch.
StarLedger - Giants 5 observations: Eli Manning throws away a chance to go 3-0.
StarLedger - Giants blow 2 double-digit leads, fall to desperate Redskins.
TheRecord - Giants lose to the Redskins, 29-27.
TheRecord - Forgetful Beckham least of Giant worries.
InsideFootball - Washington 29-Giants 27: Hits, Misses and Musings.
BigBlueInteractive - Washington Redskins 29 - New York Giants 27.
Newsday - McAdoo shows little emotion after first loss.
Newsday - Beckham piling up record receiving numbers.
Newsday - Giants' defense suffers letdown in loss to 'Skins.
Newsday - Giants grades: Sloppy play mitigates decent game.
Newsday - No fourth-quarter magic for Eli.
Newsday - Manning's late INT clinches Giants' first loss.
WashingtonPost - Redskins prevail, 29-27, in back-and-forth affair against Giants for first win.
WashingtonPost - Redskins' Sean McVay and Joe Barry make tweaks, and are rewarded.

Giants (2-0) vs Redskins (0-2) Game Preview
Last week in the fourth quarter, the Redskins were up by 3 points. They hoped to extend their lead down at the Cowboys 6 yard line, but Kirk Cousins threw an interception in the end zone. Later Alfred Morris, their former running back, scored the go-ahead touchdown to give his new Cowboys team a 27-23 win.
The Giants were playing in their home opener after coming off a close win in Dallas. Their defense limited the Saints to just 13 points. With the special teams unit scoring a touchdown to add to their three field goals, the Giants fans went home happy with a 16-13 win.
Giants - Saints Wrap-Up

Sept 25 Odell Beckham Jr. meets Josh Norman again -- and it's up to Ben McAdoo to manage the mayhem. It's here - the undefeated Giants (2-0) and winless Washington (0-2) in an early, must-see NFC East clash, with Washington so desperate that Giants coach Ben McAdoo on Friday compared them to "hungry animals."
Nine months later, Beckham and the Giants firmly believe he has matured and moved on and there will be no second act with Norman, who signed a five-year, $75 million deal with the Redskins. The officials will be watching, and, no doubt, throwing flags at the slightest hint of mischief.
Giants unconcerned if Josh Norman shadows Odell Beckham Jr. In fact, they may be reveling in it because they are one of the few teams that can afford to lose some production from their best receiver and still have two others who can win them a game.

Sept 24 The Giants will officially be without two starters for Sunday's contest against Washington. And they could be missing a third. Starting right tackle Marshall Newhouse (calf) and starting rookie free safety Darian Thompson (sprained foot) have been ruled out for Week 3.
All week, Rashad Jennings has been confident his injured left thumb wouldn't prevent him from facing the Redskins, but the Giants are listing their starting running back as questionable to play Sunday. Jennings was limited in practice this week, wearing a large wrap on his left hand.

Keenan Robinson getting Giants fired up to face his former team. Earlier this week, Robinson was stirring the pot ahead of the Giants' clash with Washington. Amid reports of fractures in the Washington locker room, Robinson offered insights from his own experience.

The Giants are one of just three NFL teams without a takeaway in the first two games (Seattle and Tampa Bay), but the only one to have won their first two games.

Sept 23 Rashad Jennings reiterated he will stand for the national anthem prior to Sunday's game between the Giants and Redskins, and he expects his teammates to do the same.
Giants players are still debating how to best convey their condemnation of racial injustice in this country. But they almost certainly won't be protesting in any manner during the national anthem Sunday at MetLife Stadium.

The relatively healthy New York Giants have perhaps their first significant injury on defense to deal with all of a sudden thanks to the foot sprain suffered by rookie starting safety Darian Thompson.
Devon Kennard was expected to be an important piece of the Giants defense this season. But through two games, the linebacker has played just 37 defensive snaps and recorded five tackles.

The Giants are one of just three NFL teams without a single takeaway in the first two games, sharing that blank slate with the Seahawks and Buccaneers. Adding in the four turnovers on offense, the Giants are minus-four in turnover ratio, 31st out of 32 teams.

Everyone who is talking about Josh Norman this week is talking about the wrong defense when it comes to Sunday's Washington-Giants slugfest at MetLife Stadium.
Norman is the story and the story-teller. And he's yapping exclusively on Fox's lead-in to its 1 p.m. Washington-Giants telecast. Needless to say Fox's pregame competition won't be able to provide such an intimate assessment of Norman vs OBJ.
Rookie Sterling Shepard focusing on himself, not others. All the questions from the media about the subject, not to mention the questions the players undoubtedly have for themselves.

Sept 22 A week after the Giants players criticized Redskins cornerback Josh Norman for not covering Steelers star wide receiver Antonio Brown, Norman reportedly will shadow Odell Beckham Jr. in Sunday's matchup. Norman will cover Beckham all over the field, except the slot.
Josh Norman wouldn't say if the plan is for him to shadow Odell Beckham Jr. on Sunday. But Norman wants to. Badly. "Heck yeah, why not?" the cornerback said with a smile Wednesday. "Shoot, man, that's the competitor that's inside of me, man. I don't shy away from nobody."

Giants unconcerned if Josh Norman shadows Odell Beckham Jr. In fact, they may be reveling in it because they are one of the few teams that can afford to lose some production from their best receiver and still have two others who can win them a game.
Of all the advice Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. has received in the months since his on-field confrontation with cornerback Josh Norman, there is one message that continues to resonate in advance of their gridiron rematch. "Don't lose it, kid."

DeAngelo Hall is just happy to hear Keenan Robinson has a job. Or something like that A day after Robinson, a Giants linebacker who spent the last four years in Washington, called out the Redskins and their perennially dysfunctional locker room, his old teammate had a hard-to-believe, and hilarious, retort.

Sept 20 Here we go again. The Giants are 2-0 and have a golden opportunity Sunday to further distance themselves from the Redskins, last year's NFC East champions, who are 0-2 with two losses on their home field.
Plenty of attention will be paid to Sunday's Odell Beckham Jr. versus Josh Norman matchup, with the Giants receiver and Washington cornerback facing one another for the first time since last December's throwdown at MetLife Stadium.
Beckham didn't want to address his inexcusable final-drive drop after Sunday's 16-13 win over New Orleans. Football may be a team sport, and the third-year receiver did his part with eight catches for 86 yards. Giants WR Beckham has advantage vs. Saints' inexperienced corners But the Giants' defense isn't going to win all of these games.

The Giants have allowed only three plays of 20 or more yards, all on passes. They are the only NFL team that has yet to allow a play of any kind for 30 or more yards. This new group has been almost flawless in its technique and tackling.
Rashad Jennings "banged his hand up a little bit" in the second half against New Orleans, but he should work when the Giants resume practice Wednesday. McAdoo did say he expects Jennings to be limited in some capacity, however.

Sept 19 Giants win over the Saints 16-13 | Video | Photos | Photos

On The Game: Game 2
Gamegirl ---"I didn't know what to expect when I saw the Giants take the field for their first home game. They were coming off a close win over the Cowboys, but with the Saints and Drew Brees coming in, the competition would be tougher today."
Mikefan. ---"If this was a Super Bowl game some longshot bets would have paid off. Special teams scored the first touchdown. No running back on either team scored a touchdown. Drew Brees threw only one touchdown. Eli Manning threw none, and so all his receivers caught none. That includes Beckham who had eight catches for 130 yards and three touchdowns last time against the Saints."

ESPN - Eli to Cruz sets up Giants win again, 16-13 over Saints.
Giants.com - Instant Analysis: Giants 16, Saints 13.
Giants.com - What does this win mean for the Giants?
NYDailyNews - Giants' Sterling Shepard has breakout game in win over Saints.
NYDailyNews - Giants defense, special teams lead way in 16-13 win over Saints.
NYDailyNews - Giants defense proves this year is different in win over Saints.
NYDailyNews- Giants Insider: Scooping up Janoris Jenkins pays off for Big Blue.
NYPost - McAdoo's Giants thrillingly turn tables on last year's fatal flaw.
NYPost - How Giants awoke their Drew Brees demons to slay them.
NYPost - Victor Cruz leapt and came down with a legendary comeback.
NYPost - Disgusted Saints accuse Odell Beckham of cheating.
NYPost - Giants report card: Perfect games from ridiculed units.
NYPost - How this peek at Giants validates fans' wildest dreams.
NYPost - Drew Brees can't explain Saints offense's shocking 180.
NYPost - Unflinching Josh Brown betrays no contrition in ex-wife answers.
StarLedger - Giants WR Sterling Shepard living up to Rookie of the Year hype.
StarLedger - Josh Brown kicks game-winning field goal in Giants' 16-13 victory over Saints.
StarLedger - Giants, Cowboys react to game-ending 'poor decision' by Terrance Williams.
StarLedger - Eli Manning stars as Giants beat Saints to go to 2-0 | QB Report Card.
StarLedger - Josh Brown offers 1st comments on extensive domestic violence allegations.
StarLedger - Saints CB P.J. Williams carted off field in Giants game.
TheRecord - Giants kicker Josh Brown keeps his eyes on the prize.
InsideFootball - Giants 16 - Saints 13: Hits, Misses and Musings.
BigBlueInteractive - New York Giants 16 - New Orleans Saints 13.
Newsday - Victor Cruz showing flashes of his old self.
Newsday - Giants' defense does a 180 against Saints.
Newsday - Giants edge Saints to avenge last year's loss.
Newsday - Giants: Why didn't McAdoo go for TD late?
Newsday - Giants' grades: Good showing except for offensive gaffes.
Newsday - Josh Brown doesn't want to talk about it.
Nola.com - Saints finding new ways to lose, finishing wrong instead of finishing strong.
Nola.com - Saints show resiliency but come up short in 16-13 loss to Giants.

Giants (1-0) vs Saints (0-1) Game Preview
Last week In the third quarter, the Raiders were down by 14 points. Later, closing the gap to five, they went for a two point conversion that failed. So the Raiders were down by eight when the Saints added a field goal. After scoring a touchdown, the Raiders two point attempt worked to tie the score. The Saints scored another touchdown to go up by seven, and then the Raiders scored one of their own. Sticking by their guns (swords?) they went for two and won the game by one point, 35-34.
The Giants were playing in Dallas and they won their opener for the first time since 2010. With Tony Romo out, the Cowboys started rookie quarterback Dak Prescott. He and his offense showed good ball control throughout the game scoring one touchdown and four field goals. The Giants offense came up with three touchdowns and had one missed point after attempt. That was enough to give new head coach Ben McAdoo his first win, 20-19.

Sept 18 Giants must start paying fans back after years of heartbreak. If coach Ben McAdoo is right, Giants fans won't recognize the team that comes storming out of the tunnel into their Big Blue hearts for the first time in 2016. A team that owes them 2-0.

The Saints are marching in to MetLife Stadium on Sunday, but the Giants are swaggering into their Week 2 home opener and it's not just because of their 1-0 record after a 20-19 Week 1 win in Dallas. It's because they got their swagger back before they even beat the Cowboys.

For this game - and another two after it at least - Drew Brees is the acting dean of NFL starting quarterbacks. Nobody in the league has had more starts than him (217) except Tom Brady (223), who is serving a four-game suspension.

Who helps Giants most with a Week 2 win - Cowboys or Redskins? The Giants will be focused on their home opener against the Saints on Sunday, but two of their NFC East rivals will be meeting at the same time - and both need a win badly.

Sept 17 Janoris Jenkins likes to go by his nickname: Jackrabbit. He got it when he was a child in Florida and would spend his time and demonstrate his athleticism by chasing rabbits. After one game with the Giants, though, he might be ready for a new moniker: Shutdown corner.

The Giants might have to face the NFL's leading passer without one of their leading pass rushers. Though Jason Pierre-Paul vowed to play Sunday when the Giants face Drew Brees and the Saints at MetLife Stadium, coach Ben McAdoo isn't sounding as confident.

Drew Brees certainly didn't look 37 years old last week while strafing the Raiders with yet another of his trademark 400-yard passing days. Giants safety Landon Collins and his defensive teammates know they could be in for a similar roasting Sunday at MetLife Stadium if Big Blue can't find a way to get Brees out of rhythm.

Odell Beckham Jr. and Victor Cruz were both fined over $12,000 each for a group celebration in the Giants' 20-19 season-opening victory, a league source confirmed to NJ Advance Media. Beckham pantomimed taking a photo of Cruz as he did the (salsa) dance after a touchdown, which is where the group celebration apparently comes into play.

Ben McAdoo and the Giants' players so frequently have uttered the phrase "stay humble" this week that you wonder if they'd just prefer to hand their 20-19 Week 1 win in Dallas back to the Cowboys, so as not to offend anyone or grow too enamored with a 1-0 start.

Sept 16 As a collective unit, the Giants' offensive line swats away criticism like it was a fly that had lost its way and invaded their territory. As individuals, they're a bit more sensitive about being told they aren't capable of doing something well.
When it comes to assessing Giants tight end Larry Donnell, it can be complicated. Donnell has been an asset in the passing game, but struggled with ball security and blocking.

Will Tye could have used a sick day against Cowboys. His illness altered the Giants' game plan a bit. They planned to use a bit more two tight-end looks with Tye and Larry Donnell, but because of Tye's limitations they went with three receivers for most of the game.

Eli Apple faces stiffer test this week in Saints QB Drew Brees. Rookie cornerback had some rough spots in debut vs. Dallas, feels confident he can cope with Brees' skill, experience This won't just be a different opponent for Eli Apple. At times it might feel like a different sport.

It was a game that had everything, as long as you do not include defense in your definition of everything. There were 101 points, 1,030 total yards, 840 passing yards, 64 first downs and an NFL record 13 touchdown passes.
All week, the Giants have relived the misery inflicted by the Saints last season, recounting the embarrassment of allowing 52 points. The defense watched the highlights it remembered too well, ashamed that 49 points from the offense wasn't enough. For Jason Pierre-Paul, it is easy to believe Sunday's game won't play out the same.
Jason Pierre-Paul sat out Thursday's practice but expects to play Sunday. Pierre-Paul is the only one on the team's injury report this week with a football-related issue. The only other is DT Robert Thomas who is dealing with an illness.

Darian Thompson appears to have earned the starting free safety job - again. The Giants rookie won the starting spot in training camp but suffered a shoulder injury in the preseason, which enabled Nat Berhe to receive the season-opening start at Dallas.

Giants fullback Nikita Whitlock, who is on injured reserve with a foot injury, has been suspended without pay for the team's next 10 games for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances.

Sept 15 Why Giants can dream of breaking Sunday's scoreboard. Odell Beckham Jr. sees what everyone else sees when he takes a look at the Giants receivers and their impending matchup with the Saints' cornerbacks.
The Giants have a history of playing high-scoring games against the New Orleans Saints. From 2003-15, the teams met seven times, and the winner never scored less than 27 points. Five times, the victors put at least 45 points on the board.

The winning team in the last four games between the Giants and the Saints has scored at least 48 points, marking the first time in NFL history two opponents have had such high-output victories against each other. The losing team in those four games has averaged over 31 points per game.
If Odell Beckham Jr. gets stopped on Sunday, it will be by someone you have never heard of. To call the Saints' cornerbacks young and inexperienced is an understatement. With top cornerback Delvin Breaux out injured, New Orleans' top three CBs are P.J. Williams, Ken Crawley and De'Vante Harris. All three made their NFL debuts on Sunday in the Saints' one-point loss to the Raiders.

Football fans and bus riders could be in for a rough ride this weekend when lanes are closed on Route 495 east for emergency bridge repairs. Those repairs, scheduled from 10 p.m. Friday until 4 a.m. Monday, will affect football traffic from the Giants game at MetLife Stadium on Sunday and NJ Transit buses traveling to the Port Authority Bus terminal in New York all weekend.

Sept 14 The Giants no longer have two kickers on their active roster. Defensive tackle Montori Hughes, who was waived by the team prior to the start of the regular season, re-signed with the Giants on Tuesday. To make room for Hughes, the Giants released kicker Randy Bullock.

Eli Manning says Tom Coughlin texted him congrats after beating Cowboys. Eli Manning played his first regular season game with the Giants on Sunday without Tom Coughlin as his head coach.
The quarterback said there wasn't any sense of weirdness or absence playing his first game without having Coughlin to lean on. "I kind of used the things that I've learned from him over the years so I think in that sense he's always kind of a part of iit."
Though Eli and his recently retired brother used to regularly share information on opponents, the Giants quarterback said Peyton simply was there as a fan on Sunday. "He's just there to support."

The first touchdown of the season for the Giants showed exactly what they are capable of. They went 74 yards on three straight passes to Sterling Shepard, Odell Beckham Jr. and Larry Donnell - bang, bang, bang - taking only 58 seconds to reach the end zone. More than a third of their passing yards in the game came on those three snaps.

The Giants trailed at the end of the third quarter, 16-13. When they rallied to win, it broke a streak of 11 consecutive losses in games in which they were behind entering the fourth quarter. Dak Prescott was the 83rd starting quarterback Eli Manning has faced.

Giants offense scary good with healthy Victor Cruz, but can they keep up with Drew Brees and Saints? If the Giants can count on last Sunday's version of Cruz this season, the potential for their offense is obviously off the charts.
Here's a look at the five questions facing the Giants following their 20-19 victory over the Cowboys and heading into Sunday's home opener against the Saints.

Sept 13 The Giants' crowded linebacker corps thinned a bit Monday when the team placed veteran J.T. Thomas on injured reserve.
Kicker Josh Brown is being reinstated to the 53-man roster following his one-week suspension for a domestic violence arrest in May 2015, so Brown fills Thomas' roster spot immediately.

Giants coach Ben McAdoo had no intention of easing receiver Victor Cruz back into the lineup after a nearly two-year layoff. McAdoo was true to his word, playing Cruz for 50 of 56 offensive snaps in Sunday's season-opening 20-19 win over the Cowboys.

Upon Further Review: Secondary stands out in win. one and eight - the total number of catches and receiving yards by Dez Bryant, the Cowboys' two-time Pro Bowl wideout, who averaged 4.9 receptions and 69.3 yards in his first 84 career games.

Sept 12 Giants win over the Cowboys 20-19 | Video | Photos | Photos

On The Game: Game 1
Gamegirl ---"After a one yard run by Rashad Jennings, Eli Manning wasted no time completing three straight pass plays to rookie Sterling Shepard, Odell Beckham Jr., and Larry Donnell for a touchdown to take a 7-6 lead. They Cowboys got it back with yet another field goal, but then Sterling Shepard showed his skills with a nine yard touchdown catch."
Mikefan. ---"The rookie was doing well until Cowboys Brandon Carr (no interceptions since 2013) was able to bedazzle Shepard and grab an easy interception off Eli Manning. Like we had said in our preview, Shepard is a talented player, but you have to expect rookie mistakes."

ESPN - Manning hits Cruz for go-ahead TD, Giants top Cowboys 20-19.
Giants.com - Instant Analysis: Giants 20, Cowboys 19.
NYDailyNews - Victor Cruz grabs game-winning TD, Giants get revenge on Cowboys.
NYDailyNews - Rrookie Sterling Shepard had a special dedication for first touchdown.
NYDailyNews - All Giants stand for anthem, George Bush joins pre-game ceremony.
NYDailyNews- Cowboys' Williams trolled hard for not going out of bounds.
NYPost - Giants' beleaguered unit silences the preseason haters.
NYPost - How Giants' 3 high-priced additions made an immediate impact.
NYPost - Ben McAdoo not about to share his feelings about debut win.
NYPost - Giants report card: McAdoo's play-calling just comes through.
NYPost - Victor Cruz and mindless Cowboy gift Giants opening thriller.
NYPost - How Victor Cruz's moment unleashed a touching dance party.
NYPost - End-game brain freeze only start of problems for Cowboys' goat.
NYPost - Giants stars dare NFL to fine them for cleats in tribute of 9/11.
StarLedger - Victor Cruz authors the perfect Giant comeback in win over the Cowboys.
StarLedger - Recapping what happened on Cowboys' failed final drive vs. Giants.
StarLedger - Giants, Cowboys react to game-ending 'poor decision' by Terrance Williams.
StarLedger - Giants win Ben McAdoo's debut after Cowboys' blunder on final play.
StarLedger - Giants WR Victor Cruz scores winning TD in triumphant return.
StarLedger - Giants 5 observations: New-look defense shows toughness in 4th quarter.
StarLedger - Zak DeOssie has 'special moment' with former President George Bush.
TheRecord - Giants rally for 20-19 win over Cowboys.
InsideFootball - Victor Cruz Touchdown Helps Giants Top Cowboys in Season Opener.
BigBlueInteractive - New York Giants 20 - Dallas Cowboys 19.
Newsday - Victor Cruz's touchdown gives Giants win over Cowboys.
Newsday - For Victor Cruz, this could not have been more perfect.
Newsday - Giants' revamped defense gets the job done.
Bloggingtheboys - Cowboys falter, fall to Giants by 20-19 final score.
Bloggingtheboys - Did veterans & coaches let Prescott down in his debut?

Giants (0-0) vs Cowboys (0-0) Game Preview
Last year the Cowboys finished last in the NFC East with a 4-12 record. They sunk badly after a 12-4 first place finish the year earlier. The Giants finished third in the division for the third consecutive year, repeating their prior years 6-10 win-loss record. The Cowboys had won the season opener with the Giants and the Giants took the second game.
Overall
I have to think back to when Eli Manning was a rookie and he had the benefit of watching and learning while Kurt Warner ran the show for nine games before making his first start. Manning went on to lose the next six games before notching his first win in the very last game of the season. (It was against the Cowboys by the way.)
With that thought I feel the Cowboys are asking a lot from fourth-round rookie quarterback Dak Prescott. It's one of the reasons they recently picked up Mark Sanchez, who knows what it feels like to run a team at full NFL game speed. They'll be depending on a strong running game to help Prescott out, but once again running back Ezekiel Elliott is a rookie playing in his first NFL game against a Giants defense that looks to be well improved over last year.

Sept 11 How Michael Strahan, Kevin Mawae talked sense to NFL after 9/11. It was Strahan and Mawae who talked to their teammates, then talked to players across the league who had seen the horrors unfold on TV but were geographically detached from what that truly meant.

Two New Jersey and New York police unions have pledged to pay the fine of Tennessee Titans linebacker Avery Williamson if he wears custom cleats designed to honor victims of the 9/11 attacks during a game Sunday.

Sept 10 Victor Cruz went up for Eli Manning's pass in the back of the end zone and it's taken him nearly two years to land back on his feet. In fact, when Cruz runs out of the tunnel at Jerry World on Sunday afternoon for the Giants season opener against the Cowboys, he will need more than a calendar to track the last time he played.

The Giants announced that quarterback Eli Manning, linebacker Jonathan Casillas and long snapper Zak DeOssie were voted as the team's captains for the season. First-year head coach Ben McAdoo will also name three additional game captains each week.
Predictably, Eli Manning was voted by his teammates as offensive captain for the 10th straight season. Not surprisingly, the Giants' second-longest-tenured player, Zak DeOssie, was chosen to be the special teams captain for the sixth consecutive year. Linebacker Jonathan Casillas wasn't the obvious choice to be named the third full-season captain in just his second season with the Giants.

Jay Bromley could see the smoke from his classroom that clear Tuesday morning 15 years ago. Sunday's season opener against the Cowboys, played on the 15th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, will be a day of remembrance for all the Giants. But Bromley, the Giants' third-year defensive tackle, is the only player on either squad's current active roster who hails from New York City. A Flushing native, Bromley was 9-years-old and in class at PS 50 in Jamaica when the World Trade Center was attacked.

NFL News
The NFL season kicks off en masse Sunday on the 15th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, and the playing and observance of the national anthem - once considered a symbol of national unity - will be in the spotlight as America wonders if additional players will choose to kneel, instead of stand, to protest racial divisiveness.

Sept 9 Eli Manning knows how a bad preseason can still lead to a Super Bowl. "He has been around a long time, and I can't emphasize enough to you or anybody what a great pro he is," Giants offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan said he isn't worried about his starting quarterback heading into the season opener against the Cowboys Sunday.
Zero. It's the number of points Eli Manning was able to score this preseason, but it's also the number of concerns offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan has regarding his starting quarterback's readiness. "Eli Manning is the least of our worries at this point," he said.

Victor Cruz could stay healthy, have a great season for the Giants and still not win the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year award. Why? Because Jason Pierre-Paul is a man on a mission, that's why.

Can Odell Beckham Jr. keep it up? Can the Giants' sensational wide receiver continue his relentless go pattern through the team's and the NFL's record books? Can he make his third professional season as productive and memorable as his first two?.

NFL News
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell disagrees with Colin Kaepernick's choice to kneel during the national anthem, but recognizes the quarterback's right to protest.

Sept 8 Victor Cruz hasn't played in a regular-season game since October 2014 due to knee and calf injuries, but he appears to be back and ready to contribute. Unlike when he left off, he won't be the team's No. 1 receiver.
Randy Bullock will be the Giants' Week 1 kicker in Dallas, with Josh Brown suspended one game. That means Bullock, 26, will be guaranteed his $760,000 salary, since he is a vested veteran with four credited NFL seasons, even though it's likely he won't be on the roster when Brown returns in Week 2. So he's an expensive Week 1 fill-in.
Rookie Darian Thompson practiced Wednesday on a limited basis, and the Giants hope he can play a role Sunday in the season opener.
To say this year already has been a wild ride for Dak Prescott would be an understatement. listening to Prescott tell it, the whole crazy journey that will culminate Sunday when he leads the Cowboys against the Giants in the season opener at AT&T Stadium was meant to be all along.

The Giants' season-opening game has presented Ben McAdoo with a situation he might not experience again this season. Dallas will attack the Giants with rookies at quarterback (Dak Prescott) and running back (Ezekiel Elliott), a premier receiver in Dez Bryant, and Jason Witten, who McAdoo said, "is one of the finest to ever play the tight end position."

Eli Manning was asked what sticks out from the Giants' 27-26 season-opening loss to the Cowboys last season. The Giants were on the verge of scoring a touchdown that likely would have put the game away, but Manning told Rashad Jennings not to score for fear that the Cowboys would've had too much time on the clock to answer back.

Former Giants
Jim Fassel can relate to Ben McAdoo's coaching challenge.

NFL News
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said he disagrees with Colin Kaepernick's choice to kneel during the national anthem, but recognizes the quarterback's right to protest.

Sept 7 Special Report - Slowly, and at times not so slowly, the Giants have become Ben McAdoo's team, as he wrests it away from the shadow of former head coach Tom Coughlin. It's a long process. Most of the players McAdoo has picked as starters for Sunday's season-opener in Dallas were Coughlin's players. But there are a few significant exceptions.
--- For instance, middle linebacker Jasper Brinkley, who joined the team just four days prior to the start of the 2015 season and played in 15 games - starting the final nine - has been waived. In his place is a free agent signee, Kelvin Sheppard - who is scheduled to start Sunday.
--- All six draft picks earned a spot on the final 53-man roster, while Coughlin, as is well-known, didn't really like (or trust) rookies. The six are cornerback Eli Apple, wide receiver Sterling Shepard, linebacker B.J. Goodson, tight end Jerell Adams, running back Paul Perkins and free safety Darian Thompson.

Sept 6 Giants have run out of excuses: It's Super Bowl or bust. Four years. Four long years without a playoff appearance. A defensive coordinator fired. Tom Coughlin gone. Enough is enough. No excuses. It's time. It's time to be Giants again.

The Giants signed Josh Johnson on Monday, and the veteran is here to push Ryan Nassib, who struggled as Eli Manning's understudy this preseason, according to head coach Ben McAdoo.
Johnson, who was cut by the Ravens this past weekend, has played in 29 games with five starts in his career. He has not thrown a pass in a regular season game since 2011. Johnson did have a good preseason, though, in Baltimore.
Kelvin Sheppard, who signed with the Giants in April to little fanfare on a one-year, veteran minimum deal, has won out as the team's middle linebacker. That became clear Monday as last year's starter, Jasper Brinkley, was released to make room for new quarterback Josh Johnson.

The preseason has rarely meant so much to an established player. For Victor Cruz, any snaps were significant after most of his past two years were spent on sidelines or outside stadiums.
There were some who didn't think he'd make it, that his career was over. But this is Victor Cruz we're talking about, a receiver who bucked the odds once before as an undrafted free agent out of UMass and who is about to buck the odds yet again.

Ben McAdoo said the Giants will "never stop looking" for new players, but when it comes to his offensive line it sounds as if he's more likely to stand pat than add anyone else.
Eli Manning has the longest active streak of consecutive games in the league, having started 194 games in a row, including the playoffs and two Super Bowl victories during which he was named MVP.

Sept 5 Eli Manning, Giants now down to just one legit foe for NFC East crown after Eagles deal Sam Bradford. The NFC East starting quarterbacks: Manning, Cousins and two rookies. This officially makes the NFC East a two-team race: Giants vs. Washington, Manning vs. Cousins.

As much as they would like to, it's impossible for the Giants who were part of last year's season-opening debacle in Dallas to put it out of their minds. It was one of the most bewildering losses in recent history for the Giants, setting the tone for a season of ill-advised decisions and late-game flops. And now, it seems, there is only one way to exorcise it. They must go back to Dallas and beat the Cowboys on Sunday.

When Montori Hughes made the Giants' 53-man roster on Saturday, the team announced that he was switching his jersey number to 99. Hughes never got to wear it. He was waived on Sunday, according to his agent, when the Giants were awarded another defensive tackle.
Defensive tackle Robert Thomas was awarded off waivers to the Giants, one day after he was released by the Carolina Panthers. To create a roster opening for Thomas, the Giants waived defensive tackle Montori Hughes.

Many of the players cut by the Giants on Saturday won't be going far. The team has brought back 10 of those players to its 10-man practice squad as of Sunday afternoon. Wide receiver Geremy Davis is the most notable addition of the practice squad.

Former Giants
Andre Williams is heading to San Diego. The former Giants running back was claimed off waivers by the Chargers on Sunday.

Sept 4 Ben McAdoo suggested the Giants would have a few surprise cuts as they pared down their roster to 53 players. They delivered with a last-minute stunner, waiving running back Andre Williams, their fourth-round pick in 2014.
Two seasons and 305 lackluster carries later, the Andre Williams experiment in East Rutherford is over. The Giants' disappointing third-year running back was one of the team's final cuts on Saturday afternoon. "We're going to miss him," McAdoo said.
They made 22 moves, and the most eye-catching was that they waived running back Andre Williams, who had a promising rookie year, slumped badly in 2015 and apparently did not do enough this summer to beat out Orleans Darkwa, Bobby Rainey or rookie Paul Perkins.
Williams' departure leaves the Giants with five running backs in veterans Rashad Jennings, Shane Vereen, Orleans Darkwa and Bobby Rainey, and rookie Paul Perkins. Williams' numbers declined last season, when he rushed for 257 yards on 88 carries, scored one touchdown and caught one pass.

Packers release Pro Bowl guard: How it could help the Giants. The answer to the Giants' prayers on their offensive line might have been answered by the football powers-that-be in Green Bay who decided to cut Josh Sitton, a three-time Pro Bowl guard.

Josh Brown remains with Big Blue. The Giants officially placed Brown on the reserve/suspended list Saturday, as the team whittled its roster down to 53 players.

Former Giants
Lawrence Taylor adds another mugshot to his collection.

Sept 3 Even the safe players think cut day is a Giant headache. The football locker room is normally a sanctuary from worldly worries. It's where players go to escape reality and find comfort in their bubble of focus. But not this weekend.
Like all NFL teams, the Giants must remove 22 players from their roster by 4 p.m. to reach the regular-season limit of 53. And McAdoo was reluctant to even mention players by name. He had the telephonic version of a poker face, refusing to tip his hand.

Aside from the quarterback position, which I won't count here because it is all about Eli Manning, the Giants' greatest strength so far this preseason has been the defensive line. Olivier Vernon looks like an elite pass rusher.

A return to the scene of one of their most devastating losses is sure to jolt the Giants' memory as they prepare for their season opener against the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium.
That was the site of the Giants' opener last year, the one which ended in embarrassing fashion as Eli Manning threw an incomplete pass instead of taking a sack or the Giants running the ball with the lead and Dallas possessing zero timeouts.

Former Giants
Michael Strahan, Tom Brady, team for 'Religion of Sports' TV series. The six-episode docuseries will air on the Audience Network starting in November.

Sept 2 Instant Analysis: Giants 17, Patriots 9.
Giants' 1st team offensive line bad again to end preseason vs. Patriots.
Giants' 2nd-team defense stands tall vs. Tom Brady in win over Patriots.
Brady plays 1st half vs. Giants in tuneup for suspension.
Tom Brady gets his last reps before becoming a spectator to start season.
Tom Brady the only exciting thing in Giants' preseason finale.
Tavarres King Shines in Giants' 17-9 Win Over Patriots.
Victor Cruz flashes speed in Giants' final preseason game.
Giants miss chance to give Eli Manning more work with offense.
Ben McAdoo on Eli Manning's lack of preseason playing time.
Odell Beckham makes a play for Tom Brady's jersey.
Giants top the Patriots 17-6 to win their final preseason game - Photos.

Sept 1 Giants - New England Patriots preview. Here's a look at what to watch as the New York Giants host the New England Patriots in the 2016 preseason finale.
Giants vs. Patriots: 10 things to watch for. Giants.com highlights 10 storylines to follow as the Giants host the Patriots.
Game Preview: Patriots at Giants. The Patriots have faced the Giants more than any other team in the preseason with 25 matchups. The Patriots are off to a 3-0 preseason start and will be looking to finish the preseason with a perfect record for the fourth time in team history.

Rosters must be trimmed to 53 by Saturday. "We're obviously going to take a nice long look at some guys at the bottom part of the roster and give them an opportunity,'' McAdoo said.
To all those who have been watching the starting offense for the Giants struggle through three preseason games, running back Shane Vereen has a message for you. "Relax," he said.

Ryan Nassib, a fourth-round pick in 2013, could potentially throw his last pass in a game as a Giant on Thursday, when Big Blue takes on the Patriots in their final preseason tune up.

There is not much time for Will Beatty to get re-acclimated on the Giants' offensive line. The regular season begins in 11 days and he has not played in a long, long time - not since December 2014.

Aug 31 The Giants started the week with 90 players. By Tuesday afternoon, the roster was cut to 74 players. The NFL required teams to cut their rosters to 75 players by 4 p.m. on Tuesday. The Giants made a series of moves on Monday and Tuesday to get under that limit, leaving an extra spot open for the imminent signing of offensive lineman Will Beatty.
Players are cut for a variety of reasons, the biggest of which is performance. Sometimes an injury is involved and sometimes a team might really like a prospect to where they hope to slide him to the practice squad. Let's take a look at the roster moves made today and where each player stood before getting the bad news.

Ben McAdoo said everything his struggling offensive line has been battling of late was correctable. And one of the ways the Giants believe they can correct it, apparently, is by bringing back a familiar face.
Former Giants tackle Will Beatty was a salary-cap casualty when he was waived in February, but he agreed to terms Tuesday to return and help shore up an offensive line that has performed poorly in three preseason games.

Former Giants
Tom Coughlin turns 71 on Wednesday, as he enters just his third season out of coaching since 1968. Will Coughlin coach again in 2017?

Aug 30 The Giants began trimming their roster down on Monday, waiving four players (two with injury distinctions) that played in a combined 29 games for them during the 2015 season.

After Saturday's preseason win over the Jets, the Giants returned to practice where they have a quick turnaround before Thursday's finale against the Patriots.

The Giants' offensive line heard Ben McAdoo criticizing their blocking, but Marshall Newhouse said they already knew they hadn't been good enough.

Ben McAdoo doesn't want his Giants to follow Colin Kaepernick's lead, but issue isn't going away. The Giants coach took a stand in his own right by proclaiming: "I'd be disappointed if one of our guys chose not to stand."

Aug 29 While Giants coach Ben McAdoo said Sunday that "frustration doesn't solve anything," he said he shares in Odell Beckham Jr.'s visible disgust on the field Saturday night with Big Blue's offensive performance.
McAdoo admitted "no one's happy with how the first offense operated" against the Jets, and understandably so. The starters played eight series, and all eight ended in a punt or interception.
McAdoo was so disgusted he wouldn't rule out playing some offensive starters in Thursday's preseason finale at home against the Patriots.

With Eli Manning on the field, the Giants did not run one play inside Jets' territory. They collected three first downs and Manning was sacked once, hit cleanly by a blitzing Calvin Pryor and the running game went nowhere fast.
When Ben McAdoo says the offense needs to "go forward," he doesn't mean in the sense of progressing to the next game and getting ready for the regular season. He means literally that they have to move forward. Like, instead of backward.

Giants players and their staff apparently made a point to stand for the National Anthem before their preseason game against the Jets on Saturday night, according to a local reporter.

Former Giants
Rueben Randle among Eagles' cuts.

Aug 28 Giants Edge Jets 21-20 as starting offense struggles again.
First-team offense struggles; Postgame notes and stats.
Giants 1st team offense abysmal again in win over Jets.
Giants' last real offense tune-up as demoralizing as it gets.
Eli Manning's durability will be tested behind this Giants offensive line.
Giants, Jets both struggle offensively in third preseason game.
Giants' Odell Beckham Jr. makes right call to bail on pass.
Giants WR Victor Cruz makes long-awaited return against Jets.
Victor Cruz briefly gives Giants a lift in first game action since October 2014
Victor Cruz makes successful return in win over Jets.
Five things we learned from Giants win over Jets.
Giants' J.T. Thomas delivers speech, tips interception to Kerry Wynn.
Kerry Wynn makes nifty move on 73-yard interception return for TD.

NFC East News
Cowboys - Romo injury 'significant setback'. Cowboys confident in plan to ride with the rookie.
Eagles - Sam Bradford, Eagles shine in big win over Indianapolis Colts.
Redskins - Five observations from the Redskins' preseason win over the Bills.

Aug 27 The third preseason game is known as the "dress rehearsal" around the NFL, the game where starters traditionally play the longest before kicking off the regular season. Coach Ben McAdoo said he would like to take the first stringers into "early in the third quarter."

The watching was the hardest part for Eli Apple. The rookie cornerback, a first-round draft pick from Ohio State, will return Saturday night to play against the Jets after missing the preseason game in Buffalo with a left knee injury suffered in the opener with the Dolphins.

The third preseason game is known as the "dress rehearsal" around the NFL, the game where starters traditionally play the longest before kicking off the regular season. Coach Ben McAdoo said he would like to take the first stringers into "early in the third quarter."

Aug 26 All signs point to Victor Cruz returning to face Jets. "It-s the story of my life," Cruz said. "You can-t write it any better than this. This is the way my career has gone. It-s the way my professional career has gone. The Jets preseason game has always been some type of landmark situation for me, so here we go again."
First-year head coach Ben McAdoo has played it cautiously, making sure not to sound too positive as Cruz navigated his way through training camp, suffered a setback when he was sidelined with a sore groin and slowly climbed back to health. McAdoo is not hiding his feelings any longer. "Very optimistic,-- he said about Cruz playing Saturday night.

The third preseason game is traditionally when starters play the longest, and McAdoo said he would like to take the first stringer into "early in the third quarter" against the Jets. The Giants lost their first two outings to the Dolphins and Bills and haven-t scored for seven consecutive quarters.
There are different levels of preseason hysteria. Neither the Jets nor Giants have particularly impressed this preseason, but that could mean nothing or everything depending on the team, says SiriusXM analyst and former NFL safety Solomon Wilcots.

A Florida judge has green-lighted Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul-s invasion-of-privacy lawsuit against ESPN and its reporter Adam Schefter for posting his private medical records online to millions of readers.

Former Giants
Tom Coughlin is certainly keeping busy. The former Giants coach, who joined the NFL earlier in the summer, has added a second new gig: He'll be joining the NFL's Competition Committee, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Aug 25 Today is Thursday, yesterday was Wednesday, and the game is Saturday. There is still plenty of time to go before Victor Cruz makes his official return to football for the first time since October of 2014.
Simply practicing two days in a row is a triumph for Cruz, who missed the first two preseason games with a groin injury. But now - knock on wood - the star wide receiver finally seems to be on course to play in the season opener in Dallas on Sept. 11.
Giants players and coaches are trying to not get too excited about how good Victor Cruz looked on the practice field again on Wednesday. They really are.

Giants coach Ben McAdoo promised a physical week of practice after the team's ugly 21-0 loss to the Bills on Saturday in the second preseason game. McAdoo delivered on Wednesday.
New kicker Randy Bullock got his first opportunity to show his teammates what he can do with the ball off his foot and it wasn't too shabby, at least from a kickoff perspective.

Giants president and co-owner John Mara, looking visibly shaken but steadfastly resolved, said Wednesday the organization knew about Josh Brown's 2015 domestic violence arrest and related allegations when the team re-signed the kicker this past April, and that the team will not cut Brown unless it's for football reasons.
And while many will continue to question the team's decision to keep Brown despite knowing about the May 2015 arrest and Molly Brown's accusations that her husband had physically abused her more than 20 times, Mara is now willing to stake his reputation and that of his organization on deciding to live with the consequences of his decision.
So the Giants are just like every other NFL franchise that cuts corners for wins. Got it. It's impossible to read this Josh Brown situation any other way. "I think this is an organization that always tries to do the right thing," owner John Mara said Wednesday during a press conference that even he admitted was days late. "I don't know that we always get it done, but we try." If they tried in this case, they failed.
Standing on a patio while his team practiced behind him, Mara spoke with reporters for almost 12 minutes. Mentioning his own four daughters and seven sisters - "I know I've got to face each one of them," he said - Mara insisted the Giants did their due diligence and reached, as he said, an "informed decision."

Aug 24 Victor Cruz participated in his first full practice since he injured his groin on Aug. 9, and while the entire organization was undoubtedly happy and relieved to see it happen, Beckham clearly was the most tickled by the return.
Lining up most often in the slot, Cruz caught several passes and demonstrated an impressive burst running upfield. Cruz did not speak publicly after the workout, but Odell Beckham Jr., his fellow star receiver and close friend, did.

Randy Bullock is walking into a unorthodox, and controversial, kicking situation. But while most figure the former Jet to be a short-timer here with the Giants, Bullock says he sees himself fighting with the embattled Josh Brown for a roster spot.
Bullock is looked at as the replacement during Josh Brown's suspension, but McAdoo wouldn't say if the signing of Bullock affects Brown's long-term standing with the team.
On Tuesday, head coach Ben McAdoo again hid behind his comments on Josh Brown from last Thursday. John Mara, who was at practice Tuesday, has not addressed the matter.

If you thought Josh Norman's disdain for the Giants started last December with his infamous battle with Odell Beckham Jr., you'd be way off. As it turns out, the Redskins cornerback has held a grudge against the Giants since before he entered the NFL.

Aug 23 Two days after Tom Obarski pulled a short field goal to the left in an ugly 21-0 preseason loss to the Bills, the Giants have made a move to bolster their unconventional kicking situation, waiving Obarski and signing veteran Randy Bullock after a successful tryout on Monday.
Obarski, who has never kicked in a regular-season game, hooked a 27-yard field goal attempt in a preseason loss in Buffalo. It was his only kick of the game. Obarski joined the Giants on Jan. 6.

Jason Pierre-Paul said the accusation of numerous acts of domestic violence made against Giants kicker Josh Brown by his now former wife in a 2015 police report "doesn't matter" and that he and his teammates "look past" those allegations.

Aug 22 Victor Cruz will join Giants during Monday's practice. There's no more "hopefully." No more "see how he feels" or "if all goes well" or "expecting."
The Giants wide receiver is scheduled to participate in a light practice on Monday. This will be Cruz's second attempt to return from a groin injury that first cropped up on Aug. 9.

The rehearsals have been good, but when the bright lights come on, the Giants have yet to perform to their capabilities. "We've seen some great things in practice that haven't carried over to the games yet," coach Ben McAdoo said today on a conference call. "But we still have some work to do."

The issues on offense, in the view of Ben McAdoo, are that the Giants are not physical enough, are not fundamentally strong enough and are not protecting the ball well enough. Rather than up the ante on the physical nature of his practices, the first-year head coach said he likes the drills he uses and sees no need for radical changes.

Giants attempt to reverse injury trend with new strength coach Aaron Wellman. Wellman, 42, just three years McAdoo's senior, is here because of the injury history. There is no issue more sensitive to the Giants than their inability to stay healthy for many years under Coughlin.

Giants owner John Mara and GM Jerry Reese still have not commented on the Josh Brown domestic violence suspension, related incidents and the team's re-signing of the veteran kicker. More importantly, they have not acted.

Aug 21 Buffalo 21, Giants 0: Hits, Misses and Musings. So here's the thing.
New York Giants downed by Buffalo Bills 21-0.
Instant Analysis: Bills 21, Giants 0.
Bills overcome pregame distractions to beat Giants 21-0.
Instant analysis: What's the fix for Giants' struggling offensive line?
Few positives for Giants in ugly preseason loss to Bills.
Eli Manning, Giants first-team offense can't get anything going in preseason loss to Bills.

Giants co-owner John Mara, as he exited the visitors' locker room after Saturday's 21-0 preseason loss to the Bills, had little to say about the budding controversy surrounding kicker Josh Brown.
The Giants said the same thing about the Josh Brown situation on Saturday. That is, they had nothing to say.

Aug 20 Some of the marquee names on the Giants' injury list will at least join the team in Buffalo for Saturday's preseason game (4 p.m., MY9). Wide receiver Victor Cruz (groin), cornerback Eli Apple (knee) and left guard Justin Pugh (shoulder) traveled with the team to Buffalo.
The Giants opened the preseason without two of their most important starters after coach Ben McAdoo opted to sit quarterback Eli Manning and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. However, all signs point toward them playing on Saturday (4 p.m. ET) against the Bills.

Aug 19 The heck with Rex Ryan's blitzes, even if it is preseason and even if Colts owner Jim Irsay strongly hinted last week that Andrew Luck took a seat because the team didn't want him subjected to Ryan's pass rush. Eli Manning wants the Bills' coach to give him everything he's got.
To say that Eli Manning is looking forward to playing in the Giants' second preseason game on Saturday is an understatement. With no confusion setting in about his status for this weekend's game, Manning said he's looking forward to playing against Ryan's aggressive defense.

Josh Brown does not agree with the NFL's decision to suspend him for the season opener for what he described as "just a moment'' that led to an arrest for domestic abuse, followed by a quick dismissal of the charges stemming from an incident that took place.
Josh Brown's ex-wife told police on the day of his 2015 arrest that the Giants kicker had been physically violent with her over 20 times and that she had previously had a protection order.

Aug 18 The Giants may be nearing the end of training camp, but there are still competitions to be won and lost on the depth chart. Middle linebacker is one of them.
The Giants will hold a shorter practice, perhaps even a walk-through, Thursday to wrap up the week before heading to Buffalo. Head coach Ben McAdoo, by the way, did say that he expected Eli Manning to get some snaps against the Bills.

Ben McAdoo said Eli Manning "absolutely" will play on Saturday against the Bills in the Giants' second preseason game. Manning did not play in the opener against Miami and there had been speculation the Giants might hold him out against Buffalo as well.

Victor Cruz has a succinct message for any doubters who think his career is over. "Tune in," the Giants receiver said after missing another practice because of a groin injury. "That's all."
Cruz didn't practice with the team, but completed several rigorous drills under the direction of strength and conditioning coach Aaron Wellman.

Why Giants long-time snapper Zak DeOssie is in a fight for job. DeOssie, the longest tenured Giant next to Manning, missed the final four games of the 2015 season after playing in 140 straight. He says his wrist, initially injured in Week 3, is fine now.

Giants kicker Josh Brown was suspended one game by the NFL for violating its personal conduct policy. Brown was arrested in May of 2015 on a domestic violence charge, according to documents obtained by NJ Advance Media. It is unclear if the arrest is the reason for his suspension.

Aug 17 The sky is not falling on Victor Cruz, and those calling for the Giants to cut their losses and move on from him should chill the heck out. Sometimes, where there is smoke, there is fire. Sometimes, it is merely smoke and easy to douse. All eyes Wednesday will be on Cruz when the Giants take the field.

The Giants in some ways did not get what they expected last season out of Dwayne Harris, and they realize the reason why. Harris was brought in to upgrade every aspect of the special teams,but the Giants never quite were able to utilize Harris the way they envisioned. He frequently was needed as the third receiver, and something had to give.

The Giants' 6-10 record wasn't the only thing that bothered Shane Vereen last year - he felt the running game came up short, too. Though Vereen wants the running game to improve as a whole, he is often associated more with the passing game. Last season, Vereen had nearly as many receptions (59) as he did rushes (61), and he's had at least 47 receptions in each of the last three years, dating back to his time in New England.

35,000 push-ups later, Giants' Andre Williams seeing work pay off. He started by doing 1,000 push-ups and 300 pull-ups for five straight days and gradually increased his workload until he was doing 2,500 push-ups and 600 pull-ups for five days. The results, he said, were fantastic. "It felt very good," he said this week after gaining a team-high 41 yards on nine carries, with a long of 16 yards.

With a $200 million-plus free-agent upgrade on defense, a promising first-round cornerback and a maddening sequence of narrow defeats in 2015, there is no in between this year for Giants cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. "[The Super Bowl] is definitely the talk around here," the 30-year-old elder statesman of the secondary said.

Kelvin Sheppard knew what he was getting into when he signed with the Giants as a free agent in April. With veteran middle linebacker Jasper Brinkley returning after starting the final nine games of last season, Sheppard was prepared for a position battle. That is exactly what has unfolded in training camp.

NFC East News
NFC East Roundup: Preseason Week 1 in the books.

Aug 16 Special Report - Most of you watched the Giants' offensive line try to play on Friday night. The operable word here is "try," since they didn't do all that well. But general manager Jerry Reese was satisfied, not that he wouldn't want to see the unit perform better. "It was the first game," he said, "and we have players who are experienced in this league."

Ben McAdoo revealed he had "a nice conversation" Sunday afternoon with Victor Cruz, the again-injured Giants receiver who missed another practice Monday because of a sore groin.
Cruz was not made available to the media after practice. The Giants are off Tuesday before returning to practice Wednesday. McAdoo would not rule him out for Saturday's preseason game at the Buffalo Bills, but it's hard to see Cruz playing in that contest if he does not practice Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the rest of Giants training camp pushed on without Cruz. Young receivers are fighting for roster spots and well aware that Cruz's status will affect their chances of making the 53-man roster and possibly the role they will play in the regular season.
So far, there's no indication the Giants are losing patience with Cruz, but if several young prospects continue to sparkle in camp, the organization could be faced with deciding how long is long enough to wait on Cruz. Odell Beckham and Shepard already are forming a promising tandem. In addition, Lewis and White are making the most of their share of reps in team drills.

In addition to Cruz, the Giants backed off a bit on receiver Sterling Shepard (groin), who didn't do any team drills. Not practicing were receiver Geremy Davis (hamstring), tight end Will Johnson (burner), fullback Nikita Whitlock (unknown), linebacker J.T. Thomas (hamstring/PUP), and defensive end Kerry Wynn (groin). McAdoo said that Shepard, who worked through some soreness yesterday, did not have a setback.

Finally somebody lit a fire under this Giants training camp on Monday, those somebodies being defensive tackle Damon "Snacks" Harrison and left guard Justin Pugh, who exploded into a brief heavyweight scuffle that was quickly squashed but left its mark on the sweltering practice's mood and tone.
It was hard to see what started the altercation, but Harrison clearly was upset. It looked like Harrison took a quick swing or two at Pugh, but the players were quickly separated. There was a little more jawing after the next play, but the other members of both lines didn't let it escalate.

Aug 15 Giants have that sinking feeling: Victor Cruz isn't getting better. McAdoo didn't sound as if he expected Cruz back on the field anytime soon.
Receiver Victor Cruz returned to practice on a limited basis after missing last week with a groin strain, did some individual drills, but not the participating in the receivers vs. defensive backs drills.
Cruz was able to do some activities, though not all. And he never appeared to run anything at full speed. Even the routes he engaged in with the full offense seemed to be dialed back from a sprint.

While Victor Cruz continues to be bothered by a groin injury, the rest of the Giants' injury report was positive on Sunday. Rookie wide receiver Sterling Shepard was a full participant in Sunday's practice. Rookie cornerback Eli Apple was dressed for practice, but worked on the side with other injured players.

Many of the Giants veterans have taken it upon themselves to help out the younger guys during this training camp and Landon Collins has been no exception. The second-year safety has taken it upon himself to mentor for rookie Darian Thompson.
If he's still there when the Giants begin their season in Dallas four weeks from today, Thompson will be the second rookie in as many years to start at free safety. Last year, it was second-round selection Landon Collins, who started all 16 games. Collins is now the strong safety.

Aug 14 The Giants return to practice on Sunday for what should be a tough week of practice. Temperatures are expected to top 90 degrees all week and coach Ben McAdoo is a bit ornery after the team had six fumbles (two lost) and two interceptions in Friday's 27-10 loss to the Dolphins in the preseason opener.

As promised, Victor Cruz's absence won't be a long one. The Giants wide receiver is expected to return to practice on Sunday after being sidelined since Tuesday with tightness in his groin.
Not all injury news is as good. At least not yet. First-round pick Eli Apple, who left Friday's game with what the Giants called at the time a lower left leg strain, underwent an MRI on Saturday to further evaluate his condition. He is unlikely to practice on Sunday.

Ben McAdoo likes the Giants' depth at several positions, or at least the encouraging potential for options at wide receiver, running back, tight end and even on the defensive line, at linebacker and in what he called an "interesting" secondary. The drop off from McAdoo's first-team offensive line to his second unit in pass protection Friday night was jarring, however, in a 27-10 preseason opening loss to the Miami Dolphins.

Bill Parcells won his first preseason game as Giants head coach. Tom Coughlin won his first preseason game as Giants head coach. Ben McAdoo McAdidn't. It means nothing, of course, because Parcells went 3-12-1 in his rookie 1983 season and Coughlin went 5-11 with Kurt Warner and a rookie named Eli Manning.

Giants' Owa Odighizuwa opens up another path to QB. When the Giants flashed their pass rush on Friday night against the Dolphins, it came from expected sources. But the other piece of the pass rush was a bit more unexpected.
Odighizuwa came off the bench to provide three solo tackles, two sacks and three quarterback hits, putting on display the versatility the Giants envisioned for him when they took him out of UCLA in the third round of the 2015 draft.

Former Giants
Wellington Mara: Remembering Giants' Wellington Mara on 100th anniversary of his birth.

Aug 13 Giants squander early lead; fall to Dolphins 27-10.
Rebuilt Giants 'D' starts strong in 27-10 loss to Dolphins.
Miami 27, Giants 10: Hits, Misses & Musings.
Giants-Dolphins takeaways: Ryan Nassib struggles, Olivier Vernon stars in loss.
Ryan Nassib has three turnovers after Giants' first-teamers take a seat.
Ryan Nassib's outing makes Eli Manning even more valuable.
Manning, Beckham sit and Giants drop preseason opener.
Andre Williams finishes as Giants leading rusher in preseason opener.
New Giants starting defense puts squeeze on Dolphins.
So far, so good for Giants brand new, super-expensive defense.
Giants 1st round pick Eli Apple 'feeling fine' after injury scare.
After two injuries in preseason debut, rookie WR says 'don't freak out'.
Two impressive Giants rookies exit with injuries.
Giants coach Ben McAdoo a work in progress on the sideline.
Ben McAdoo says Giants hoping for Victor Cruz return Sunday.

Aug 12 Giants vs. Dolphins: 10 things to watch for. Friday night will be the first time Ben McAdoo takes the sideline as head coach of the New York Football Giants. Handed the reins in January, the former offensive coordinator has worked tirelessly since then to build the team in his image: sound, smart, tough, committed to discipline and poise. Now it's time to put it to the test.

It is imperative that Ryan Nassib continues to show Giants management that they count on him if the worst case arises. That makes the play of the seldom-used, fourth-year backup in Friday night's preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins as significant as anything that will happen at MetLife Stadium.
If history holds for 2016, quarterback Ryan Nassib won't have much of anything to show at the end of his fourth year with the Giants, the final one on his rookie deal. That's why these next four games are so significant for him. That's why this is his contract preseason.

Aug 11 The team resumed training camp on Wednesday at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center for the final practice before Friday's preseason opener against Miami.
Despite the overcast skies, the Giants managed to get their practice in, even if at times the rain came down heavy enough to send people scrambling for cover. It's all good though actually, as current weather forecasts are calling for rain Friday night when the Giants host Miami in their preseason opener.

Victor Cruz thinks he could have prevented Odell Beckham Jr.'s meltdown against Josh Norman last year -- if only he had been there.
The Giants had their last full practice before their preseason opener on Wednesday -- Cruz was a non-participant -- and won't practice again until Sunday.
As Victor Cruz wages his uphill comeback battle, it is Beckham whom the young wide receivers in the room look to as a mentor. He can teach them the invaluable lessons he has learned the hard way about never letting a cornerback bait you into self-destructive behavior that hurts the team.
As Beckham enters only his third NFL season, he is taking on a new role for the Giants. Not only is he a superstar receiver, but a mentor. A teacher. A professor whose lessons are heard on both sides of the line of scrimmage.

Friday night is the preseason opener for the Giants, against the Dolphins at MetLife Stadium. Ryan Nassib will be warming up in the bullpen, knowing he will replace the starter, just like every other summer since 2013.
That's how it's been since Nassib arrived as a fourth-round draft choice in 2013; he plays in the preseason (when in the last two years he threw 177 passes to Manning's 79) before moving to the sideline when the games count in the standings.

Aug 10 The Giants logged another marathon practice session, going a little over two hours in full pads Tuesday as head coach Ben McAdoo continues to get his guys ready for the preseason opener Friday against Miami.
A day after Eli Manning and the offense dominated practice, the Giants defense fought back on Tuesday. The unit had one of its best days of training camp.
Training camp is the time for players to compete and show they can be all those things. Over the next month, the Giants will find 53 of them before kicking off Week 1 at Dallas on Sept. 11.

Victor Cruz expected to play in the Giants' preseason opener on Friday against the Miami Dolphins. But that was before the wide receiver experienced groin tightness that limited his participation in Tuesday's practice.
No decision has been made about whether he will play in the Giants' preseason opener in MetLife Stadium on Friday against the Miami Dolphins.
But Cruz said he had expected to play Friday night and acknowledged this injury now "clouds" his status for game action, and hearing that just evokes a natural sinking feeling. Cruz has not played in a game since Oct. 12, 2014, in Philadelphia.

Aug 9 With three practices to go before Friday night's preseason opener, the Giants returned to the fields at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center after players had Sunday off.
Head coach Ben McAdoo has already said that the team isn't going to spend a lot of time on the Dolphins. Rather, they're going to continue to focus on continuing to build the Giants up to the level McAdoo expects, which is to be tough, fundamentally sound and smart football players.
Ryan Nassib should handle the bulk of the Giants' snaps in Friday night's preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins at MetLife Stadium, and Monday's practice demonstrated one of the fourth-year backup's strengths: Going deep.

The Giants kick off the preseason this Friday night against the Miami Dolphins at MetLife Stadium. Leading up to the game, the team released its first unofficial depth chart of the 2016 season.
Will Victor Cruz play for Giants vs. Dolphins on Friday? Asked whether Cruz is on track to participate in the game, McAdoo said he is "not going to talk much about play time."

Eli Manning doesn't have a nickname. Believe that? Twelve Giants seasons, two Super Bowls and yet no universal term of endearment like the Mets' "Dark Knight," Matt Harvey, the Rangers' "King," Henrik Lundqvist, or the retired Yankees' "Captain," Derek Jeter.
Manning was named MVP of his two Super Bowl wins and had a number of memorable plays and passes in those games. But those teams also were bolstered by a tenacious defense and a strong, physical running game.

Aug 8 Michael Irvin says Giants receivers 'dangerous'. It has not all come together just yet, not by a long shot. Interestingly, the only one of the three receivers who has put together an unblemished and eye-opening training camp is Shepard, the rookie second-round pick from Oklahoma.

We've seen eight Giants practices over the past 10 days (well, seven practices and a walkthrough), so it's a good time to take our second official crack at projecting the Giants' 53-man roster.

Owa Odighizuwa grew up watching Michael Strahan, Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora dominate opponents and wanted to do the same. He was familiar with the lore. Which is why, despite one injury-riddled rookie season, he still feels like he is on track for greatness.

For eighth-year middle linebacker Jasper Brinkley, football and family are one in the same. On the playing field, the Thomson, Georgia native commands a presence as a 6'1", 255-pound middle linebacker who has the nickname "the Hitman" because of his explosive and fast style of play.

LB Devon Kennard hoping his system will lead to breakout season. Kennard's notebooks in training camp are filled with a rainbow of highlights that help certain topics stand out as he jots them down.

NFL News
An emotional and invigorating Hall of Fame weekend came to a grinding halt Sunday night when the Packers-Colts game was canceled because of poor field conditions.

Aug 7 Shane Vereen has stood out at Giants training camp not only because he is making plays but because the versatile veteran running back never seems to come off the field.
Odell Beckham Jr. returns to taking full-speed reps at Giants practice. Beckham picked up right where he left off almost a week after leaving practice with lacerations on his lower left leg.
Jason Pierre-Paul's first tastes of full contact without using the club to protect his mangled right hand have been a success.
Ben McAdoo said that Saturday's training camp practice would be long, physical and fast. He wasn't kidding. It was all three of those things and more making Sunday a much-needed day off for the players. Photos | Photos.

For the first time since training camp began, cornerback Eli Apple showcased the coverage that led the Giants to select him with the 10th overall pick in April's NFL draft.
Someone in the crowd asked McAdoo about plans for the preseason opener against Miami. "We're not going to spend a lot of time on Miami," he said. "We're going to spend a lot of time on ourselves."
With the first preseason game against the Miami Dolphins less than one week away, we take a look at ESPN senior writer John Clayton's keys to a successful 2016 Giants season.

Larry Donnell never thought his career was in jeopardy. But as the wait to be medically cleared to play football following a serious neck injury last November dragged on, and speculation he might never be able to play again started to spread, so did his uncertainty.
Leon Hall adjusting to life with Giants after spending 9 years with Cincinnati Bengals. Leon Hall has about two weeks to figure it out.

NFL News
Pro Football Hall of Fame 2016: Ceremony Recap, Speech Highlights and Reaction.

Aug 6 The lacerations to Odell Beckham Jr.'s left leg only cost him three practices. The Giants wide receiver was back on the field in the team's walkthrough on Friday, taking part in positional and team drills and fielding punts.
After two straight days of intense hitting (yes, with pads), head coach Ben McAdoo gave his players a bit of a break today. The Giants coach changed the practice schedule, starting things an hour later and turning the practice into an hour-long walk-through which was run at not even half-speed.

Ben McAdoo put the pedal to the metal the last few days at training camp before taking his foot off the gas a little bit on Friday. They better catch their breath while they can; coming up the longest practice thus far this summer.
Ben McAdoo is still easing Victor Cruz back, but he said he was glad to see the veteran wide receiver take a few licks in Thursday's practice. Twice in that workout Cruz was knocked off his feet. Both times he got back up without any issues.

A defense that can terrify the passer. A defense with playmakers in the secondary. A defense that can close out the fourth quarter. A defense that is feared again, honors its heritage as a Big Blue Bully and makes Lawrence Taylor, Harry Carson and Michael Strahan proud again. It is no longer Mission: Impossible for Steve Spagnuolo.

Leon Hall lined up at slot cornerback during Friday's light walkthrough practice, his first with the Giants. And that is where his first opportunity to play will come. But there might be other opportunities afforded to the veteran in the days and weeks to come.

Olivier Vernon and Ereck Flowers already had plenty in common before they had gotten on the field together as Giants. They both grew up in the Miami area. They both went on to play for the University of Miami.
Back home in Miami, Olivier Vernon has a jersey he will eventually get around to framing. It's not his jersey, at least not one that he wore in any game. No, this one is a Giants jersey. An Ereck Flowers jersey.

Former Giants
Justin Tuck was part of two Super Bowl championship defenses that got after the quarterback. After seeing the 2016 team up close for the first time this week at training camp, the former defensive end doesn't see a reason why the Giants can't get back to that level.
Damontre Moore has blown what many assumed was his last chance.But could he get a last, last chance in Dallas?

Website by Mike