Bears, Cutler Wallop Giants

The Giants were outhustled and battered from the opening whistle to the final gun in Chicago last night.

Head Coach Tom Coughlin had warned us that the short week would lead to less preparation. He was right.

The final score was 17-3 but it could have easily been 31 or 34-3. The Bears had some big plays negated by penalties and Jay Cutler missed out on another score when he overthrew a wide-open Devin Hester in the first quarter.

Anyone who thinks the Cutler trade has left the Bears devoid of talent should watch the replay of this game. They appear to be a very capable team in all phases of the game. RB Matt Forte and TE Greg Olsen are two rising stars.

Cutler wasn’t particularly sharp (8-13, 122 yds), but he has a great field sense and his rifle arm allows his receivers opportunities for additional yards after the catch, hence those big plays.

While the football world is caught up in the Brett Favre riptide, the reality is that Cutler is the new boss of the NFC North.

Some quick hits……

DT Jay Alford left the game with a sprained MCL in his left knee. Too bad, he was having a nice preseason. We should know more about his condition by Monday.

Coughlin said the team’s lackluster play has inhibited the coaches’ ability to make determinations regarding roster spots. Next week’s game against the Jets will have a lot riding on it.

The WR competition remains at a standstill. No wideout caught more than two passes. Steve Smith returned to action and caught two passes for 30 yards, with one of those receptions going for 25 yards. Hakeem Nicks caught a 55-yard pass from Andre Woodson at garbage time.

The defense looked soft, especially in the middle. That would normally be worrisome, but keep in mind MLB Antonio Pierce, S Kenny Phillips and DTs Chris Canty and Rocky Bernard did not play, plus Alford left with an injury. CB Aaron Ross was also inactive.

The offensive line is obviously not the same without guards Chris Snee and Rich Seubert, but give credit to their replacements—Kevin Boothe and Tutan Reyes. The running game still flourished, but the pass protection needs work. Snee will most likely sit out the entire preseason with knee swelling, Seubert may return this week vs the Jets.

Eli Manning went 7-10 for 62 yards. The Giants RBs rushed for a total of 115 yards on 21 carries.

New York Giants’ LB Corp Proving Their Worth

Kehl, Wilkinson, Sintim All Playing Well

Outside of Wide Receiver, Linebacker was considered a question mark going into camp.  As the days pass, the questions are being answered one by one.

In the absence of injured free-agent OLB Michael Boley, Bryan Kehl and Gerris Wilkinson have filled in more than adequately at weak-side linebacker.  Kehl has shown a fire that was not apparent in his game a year ago as a rookie and Wilkinson, who was on the edge of the roster bubble at the outset of camp, has impressed the coaches with his quickness and intelligent play.

“I’m just excited about watching his continued growth,” Head Coach Tom Coughlin said of Wilkinson.

Kehl is still ahead of Wilkinson at this point, but Wilkinson is closing fast. Boley, who will not be able to practice for a few more weeks and is suspended for Week 1, is way behind in claiming his new job. The play of the existing players on the roster makes one question why he was signed at all.

Rookie Clint Sintim made a name for himself immediately in the first preseason game vs. Carolina.  Considering he comes from a 3-4 defensive scheme at Virginia, he has picked up the 4-3 almost immediately.  His pass-rushing prowess caught the eye of everyone and evoked praise from ESPN analyst Jon Gruden, who was unaware of who Sintim was.

Even though Sintim played like a dynamo against the pass, Coughlin told reporters that Sintim was more than just a pass-rusher, pointing out his ability to play the run.

“We think he is going to be a powerful guy against the run. We think he’s got good leverage. I think it’s just a matter of him lining up there next time.”

New York Giants’ Linebackers Proving to be a Strength

Kehl, Wilkinson, Sintim All Making Their Mark

Outside of Wide Receiver, Linebacker was considered a question mark going into camp. As the days pass, the questions are being answered one by one.

In the absence of injured free-agent OLB Michael Boley, Bryan Kehl, and Gerris Wilkinson have filled in more than adequately at weak-side linebacker. Kehl has shown a fire that was not apparent in his game a year ago as a rookie. Wilkinson, who was on the edge of the roster bubble at the outset of camp, has impressed the coaches with his quickness and intelligent play.

“I’m just excited about watching his continued growth,” Head Coach Tom Coughlin said of Wilkinson.

Kehl is still ahead of Wilkinson at this point, but Wilkinson is closing fast. Boley, who will not be able to practice for a few more weeks and is suspended for Week 1, is way behind in claiming his new job. The play of the existing players on the roster makes one question why he was signed at all.

Rookie Clint Sintim made a name for himself immediately in the first preseason game vs. Carolina. Considering he comes from a 3-4 defensive scheme at Virginia, he has picked up the 4-3 almost immediately. His pass-rushing prowess caught the eye of everyone and evoked praise from ESPN analyst Jon Gruden, who was unaware of who Sintim was.

Even though Sintim played like a dynamo against the pass, Coughlin told reporters that Sintim was more than just a pass-rusher, pointing out his ability to play the run.

“We think he is going to be a powerful guy against the run. We think he’s got good leverage. I think it’s just a matter of him lining up there next time.”

Eli Manning Will Quell All Doubts About Giants’ Offense

Money can change a lot of people. I’m not saying that Eli Manning is one of them, though. If he’s the game’s highest-paid player, you’d never know it by his words. I’m beginning to see it by his actions.

Monday night, Manning walked into the Giants‘ huddle fully confident of his leadership abilities. In case you haven’t heard, the Giants are looking for leaders.

I think he’s finally matured to the point where he is in total command of his game.

He wasn’t all that spectacular Monday, but he doesn’t have to be. He knows now that all he has to do is make good decisions and keep his team focused. The others will do the rest.

In the two series he played, Manning was 2-for-3 for 31 yards.

In the first series, he had his first completion,  a 13-yarder to Mario Manningham on 3rd-and-5, erased by an illegal formation penalty on Kareem McKenzie.

Manning tried Manningham on the next play, but the receiver couldn’t hang on to it, forcing a punt. There’s an obvious kinship growing between these two.

In the next series, Manning did the things Giants fans have been waiting to see from him. He displayed patience in the passing game and relied on his strong running game.

He checked down and found Brandon Jacobs for 13 yards on 2nd-and-6. He also hit Domenik Hixon perfectly on a short slant on 2nd-and-9 for a 19-yard gain. In between those plays, Jacobs ripped off a 22-yard run. The drives ended with Ahmad Bradshaw banging through the Panthers secondary for a 19-yard touchdown.

The Carolina Panthers’ defense couldn’t man up against the Giants’ running game, even with Rich Seubert and Chris Snee out of the lineup. Manning was missing his security blanket as well, as WR Steve Smith didn’t play.

It didn’t matter.

Manning used what he had: his powerful running attack and his vastly underrated receiving corp. Teams will try to stack the box this season against the Giants because they have no respect for the young receivers and no respect for Manning’s decision making.

If Monday is any indication, they will all regret it.

John Fennelly is the founder / publisher of blogNYG.com, the top fan-based blog in New York sports.

New York Giants 24, Carolina 17 – Game Notes

East Rutherford, NJ – Preseason doesn’t mean a thing, so they say. That theorem can be proved by looking at last season’s version of the Detroit Lions who went 4-0 in preseason and 0-16 in the games that count.

So, with that in mind, one has to take the 24-17 win over the sloppy Carolina Panthers here tonight at the Meadowlands with a grain of salt.

The Giants won in the last second on a fumble return for a touchdown by rookie DE Tommie Hill. The Giants’ pass rush just seems to be never-ending.

Some of what was observed…..

The Giants played without many key players: WR Steve Smith, CB Corey Webster, CB Aaron Ross, LB Michael Boley, G Rich Seubert,G Chris Snee, DT Rocky Bernard, DT Fred Robbins and DT Chris Canty.

The Panthers were without players as well, most notably WR Steve Smith and RB Jonathan Stewart.

The Giants’ running attack looks deadly.

A new wrinkle by OC Kevin Gilbride is the use of the delayed screen. Several plays went for big gains. Ahmad Bradshaw scored on a 19-yard run and Danny Ware took a David Carr pass 36 yards for a TD.

Good to see Osi Umenyiora back in uniform.

He looked ready to go and flexible. He played sparingly in the first quarter.  As a whole, the pass rush was noticeable throughout the game, especially rookie LB Clint Sintum who just couldn’t be blocked.

The wide outs are the group that came into the game under the microscope, but we learned very little since the Giants decided to spread the ball around. 12 different players caught passes.  More to come.

At first glance, WR Ramses Barden, who has been wowing the world in Albany, looked feeble and clueless when Andre Woodson threw him a prayer.  Carolina safety Quentin Teal edged in front of Barden for the INT.  Barden admitted after the the game that he could have ‘done more’ on that play.

Barden did end up making a nice play on his next attempt, a 20-yard gain on a 2nd-and-17 pass from Woodson.

DEs Tommie Hill, who scored the winning TD, and Maurice Evans both looked impressive in the short stints they saw action.  Too bad the roster math is working against them….

Rookie OT William Beatty was challenged all night by the Panther DEs. Lets just say, he’s got a long way to go…

DC On Sidelines, Not Upstairs, During Game

We all heard Defensive Coordinator tell us that he would be up in the booth during games, prompting a slew of comments and criticism from fans and bloggers.

Well, Giant fans, it ain’t true. Head Coach Tom Coughlin, who never commented on Sheridan’s claim, had his DC right next to him on the sidelines last night.

Coughlin seemed annoyed when asked about it and retorted in an authoritative manner:

Q. Bill Sheridan was telling people in the spring that he was going to be up in the box. He was down on the field today. Is that what he is going to do?

A. Yes, I don’t know where the first statement came from, but I know where the second one did.

Q. Where?

A. Me.

 

John Fennelly is the founder / publisher of blogNYG.com a credentialed member of the media covering the New York Giants

New York Giants’ Class Of ’08 Ready To Produce

Phillips, Manningham, Kehl, Thomas Poised For Expanded Roles

The Giants‘ great draft of 2007, which yielded eight players on the current roster, has put them a step ahead in the effort to develop young talent.

That windfall has allowed the team to take on greener players in the two subsequent drafts. For instance, the players taken in the 2008 draft did not have to produce right out of the gate.

That is a nice luxury to have, providing those players become productive beginning in year two.

That appears to be what is happening in East Rutherford. Their top four picks have become key players that the club has begun to rely on.

Safety Kenny Phillips and CB Terrell Thomas have become staples in the Giants’ secondary. WR Mario Manningham, who chose to fore go his senior year at Michigan to enter the 2008 NFL Draft, is as good—or better—than any rookie taken in this year’s draft.

OLB Bryan Kehl saw some action 2008, but now the team is asking him to take the spot they reserved for free agent Michael Boley, who is on IR. Thus far, he has not disappointed, showing a feistiness that has made him a favorite of coaches.

The other players chosen last April—LB Jonathan Goff, QB Andre Woodson and DE Robert Henderson—are all in camp and vying for roster spots.

The Giants hope Phillips can fulfill his Miami pedigree and become a Pro-Bowl caliber player. Thomas was a college champion who excelled in the pass-happy Pac-10. Manningham succeeds a long line of Michigan receivers, a school notorious for producing top-flight wideouts.

As 2009 unfolds, this draft will come under more scrutiny. We feel critics will begin to like what they see.

John Fennelly is the publisher / founder of blogNYG.com, the premier Giants blog on the internet.

Four Players to Watch in the NFC East

Every five minutes, the landscape of the NFC East changes.  The four heavyweights are constantly engaged in a game of one-upmanship.  This year, the Eagles, Giants, Redskins and Cowboys all came to camp with aspirations of playing deep into January.

Each team has great players on their rosters.  In Philadelphia there is Donovan McNabb, Brian Westbrook and Trent Cole. 

Washington has Clinton Portis and Santana Moss as well as Chris Cooley. 

Jason Witten and DeMarcus Ware are perennial Pro Bowlers in Dallas. 

New York has Brandon Jacobs, Justin Tuck and Chris Snee.

But who will be the players to watch in 2009?  Allow me…

 

Philadelphia

No, its not who you think it is (Mr. Vick). Nor is it first round pick WR Jeremy Maclin, although he warrants some attention. too.  For me, its second-year wideout DeSean Jackson.

Jackson is electric, plain and simple. He gives the Eagles the deep threat, the take-it-to-the house threat that Donovan McNabb has been looking for since the departure of Terrell Owens.

 

Washington

No matter how hard you try, it will be hard to not concentrate on big No. 92, Albert Haynesworth, the nine-figure monolith the Skins signed in the off-season to anchor their defensive line. 

Haynesworth, at his best, can turn an already solid unit into a special one. If he plays as advertised, expect great things. If he gets hurt or his production falls off, the Skins will finish fourth.

 

Dallas

Felix Jones was hurt most of the 2008 season. If he is healthy, he will burn opponents with his explosiveness. He has the potential to make a big play every time he touches the ball.

The Cowboys will hammer defenses with Marion Barber and try to reign in Tony Romo, forcing him to play more mistake-free football.  That means handing the ball off more.

Jones is the extra dimension that makes the Cowboys a dangerous team.  Even if you know he’s getting the ball, he’s hard to contain. 

 

New York

People who know very little about the New York Giants are harping on how much the Giants will miss Plaxico Burress.  They apparently do not know about Ramses Barden.

The 6’6″, 230 lb Barden is a bigger, stronger version of Burress.  In camp, the Giants physical secondary looks like Pop Warner Pee Wees trying to stop him. It’s ridiculous (almost comical) to watch.

How did this guy last until the third round?  I guess that’s why the Giants are at the top the league every year.

Unless teams bring in Yao Ming or Dwight Howard to play safety or corner, this guy is going to be a regular on highlight reels.

New York Giants: Bradshaw Holds Key to Ground Game

by John Fennelly / Publisher, blogNYG.com

The Giants pride themselves on being a “run-first” team.

The last time the Giants did not have a 1,000-yard rusher was 2001. Last season they became part of an elite group when both Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward both breached the 1, 000 yard mark.

2008 was perhaps the Giants’ best rushing season ever. They led the league in rushing yards with 2,518 and averaged an incredible 5.0 yards per carry.

This season, Ward is gone, a casualty of excess. He signed with Tampa Bay in the offseason. That means that more focus will be put on Jacobs. The Giants realize that Jacobs, who is known as “Earth”, is a tough inside runner who scares the bejesus out of defenses. They also know that even he can only bear so much of the load coming out of the backfield.

In years past, Ward, known as “Wind”, would relieve Jacobs and blanch defenses with his contrasting elusiveness. After Ward, usually later in contests, the Giants would ratchet up the speed with Ahmad Bradshaw, known as “Fire”.

Bradshaw has the ability to run through and by defenders, making them look statuesque. He was a luxury, a show of depth that demoralized opponents. Now he moves up the depth chart as Jacobs’ primary reliever.

Joining Bradshaw in the backfield is the talented but widely untested Danny Ware and rookie Andre Brown, whose style resembles Ward. Their inexperience has raised questions whether the Giants will continue to dominate with their ground game.

Their past performance says they will. The offensive line is still intact. RB coach Jerald Ingram is still here. They withstood the loss of the great Tiki Barber and even won a championship without him. That being said, losing Ward may not be as great a hurdle as detractors are making it out to be.

The key is Bradshaw. He has been clamoring for more carries, and now he will get them. We could be on the precipice of a new era of offensive firepower. Bradshaw has shown flashes of greatness. Could we be looking at the next Giants’ superstar?

New York Giants Camp ’09: Boring Is A Good Thing

They told me to stop complaining about the lack of juicy stories at Giants camp.

Boring is good, they say.  Not if you’re a football writer. Boring means you have to get off your butt and do some work.  And idle hands, well, you know the rest.

In Albany there is little to write about.  The players are all cordial and upbeat.  The coaches say a lot of words, but at the same time, say nothing. 

Usually there are holdouts, competitions for jobs, bold predictions and injuries (thanks for none of those, yet).  The Giants have all their draft picks signed and in camp. No veterans are holding out, either.

The biggest contract “dispute” is the Eli Manning contract, which no one seems to want to confirm nor deny.  Eli himself isn’t too concerned, so that takes all the fun out of it.

If Brandon Jacobs dosen’t feel like talking, then every interview is like a looping reel of blather.  Jacobs is by far the team’s boldest speaker. There is hardly any one else who paints outside the lines.

He took a shot at the Eagles a few weeks back, but he’s had little to say since.

On the field, we know that at least 17 of the 22 starting jobs are locked up. All of the WR positions and a few LB slots are up for grabs, but the contestants for those spots seem to be interchangeable.  The Giants would still be an elite team regardless of who wins those jobs.

Sure, I could harp on the young receivers, but that is being done ad naseum across the blogosphere. Bryan Kehl’s ‘fight’ with Madison Hedgecock ended in apologies.  The practices have wowed the laymen, but not the regulars. We know these guys are good.

Like I said, thank God there have been no serious injuries.  When I mentioned the Giants most serious injury to date, one fan asked “Who’s Michael Boley?”

So I guess boring is good.  When the biggest story is how great Sinorice Moss looks in scrimmages, you know the season can’t start soon enough.

 

 

 

What’s REALLY Happening To Michael Vick

Timing Not Right For Comeback

Let me premise this article by saying that Michael Vick has paid his debt to society and has been conditionally reinstated by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

I agree that he should be granted another chance to play in the National Football League.

But having worked in the corporate world for more than a quarter-century, I understand why his phone hasn’t rung with an offer.

The National Football League is an entity with 32 franchises in 31 markets. Each team seeks out to procure their own financial survival through ticket sales, merchandising and oodles of dollars from advertisers.

Teams also receive a shared piece of the league’s broadcasting and cable revenues.  That, along with banking relationships that include lines of credit and sweetheart loans, is how NFL teams ‘make ends meet’.

In a down economy, any interruption of these streams could prove disastrous.

If you are an NFL owner and a decision (such as signing Michael Vick) would reduce or terminate any of these vital revenue streams, you would chose not to make that decision.

This has been misconstrued as a blanket ‘blacklisting’ of Michael Vick by the likes of Jesse Jackson. He is a 20th century thinker in a 21st century world.

Racism has taken a backseat to corporatism. His gig is over. The American white male may be the face of that corporatism, but he is no longer calling the shots.

The American white male is beholden to multinational corporations who finance the NFL through the advertising and banking realms. NFL owners have to answer to advertisers and financiers. A major decsion such as signing a Michael Vick has to be researched thoroughly to assure that it does not hurt the franchise financially.

It’s not a black and white world any more. Europeans, Asians, Canadians, Australians and South Americans all have as much say in the American economy as Americans do.

The objective is profit. Do something to cut into that profit and you will get stung. Teams are reluctant to sign Vick because they fear losing sponsors and they fear negative repercussions upon their brands that will lead to operating losses.

No team is willing to make that sacrifice. Many do not have a choice.

Jesse Jackson apparently does not understand this.

Signing Michael Vick will only happen if all interested parties are on board. At this point in time, they are not. It’s not like the Jackie Robinson scenario where the organization was willing to take a hit in order to move forward.

In all due respect to Rev. Jackson, social statements these days are only made in movies and books.  Reality works differently. Altruism is a thing of the past.

It has nothing to do with courage. In the intertwined global economic sphere, corporations must tread lightly.  They must not tempt fate.

At this point in time, Michael Vick is going to have to wait for his second chance. It has nothing to do with being blackballed. It has nothing to do with the collusion of owners.  It has nothing to do with doing the right thing and being altruistic.

It has everything to do with money. It has everything to do with multinational corporations vetoing an initative that may cost them money.

Right now, Michael Vick will cost them money. And money is the name of the game.

John Fennelly is the founder / publisher of blogNYG.com – the fastest-growing fan-based blog in New York sports

 

 

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