Die Hard Giants Fan

The best part of yesterday’s game between the Seahawks and the Giants was when the G-MEN roughed up Matt Hasselbeck on the first drive of the game making him ineffective and providing him with an early exit. It was similar to the last Giants game when they roughed up Carson Palmer, and the Cowboys should thank us for that since they squeaked by the Bengals yesterday. Imagine what a healthy Palmer would’ve done to the poor Cowboys defense. The Cowboys should also thank us for ending Drew Bledsoe’s time in Dallas because who knows when Tony Romo’s opportunity would’ve came if not for our nasty defense. The Road Warriors won their third home game in as many games in the early 2008 season. These are the Road Warriors that could barely win at home in ‘07.

Offense

Eli Manning had a pretty good game statistically. He went 19/25 which is a 76.00% completion percentage and threw for 267 yards and 2 TDs…in only 3 Quarters. David Carr was able to come in lead the team to a 4 Quarter Touch Down as well. The last time we saw Carr was against the Rams for a couple of minutes, but he played an entire quarter today. We knew that Eli was not going to have his favorite weapon in Plaxico so everybody needed to step up, and they did just that. Domenik Hixon, Amani Toomer, and Steve Smith led the team in Receptions. Hixon had 104 yards in the 1st Half before leaving the game at Halftime due to a concussion, and I would’ve loved to have seen what he could’ve done by playing the entire game. Surprisingly, Sinorice Moss had 2 TD Catches, and Domenik Hixon had 1 TD. Earth, Wind, and Fire had an outstanding day as they steamrolled the soft Seattle defense for 241 yards on 33 attempts which is an average of 7.3 yards per carry. WOW! Jacobs led in rushing yards with 136 and 2 TDs. The Giants’ offense put up 35 of the 44 points.

Defense

Mike Holmgren developed a pretty good game plan because Big Blue was only able to get 2 Sacks which is the lowest since the Giants opened up the season against the Redskins. With that said, the hit that Justin Tuck laid on Matt Hasselbeck on the first drive of the game, which wasn’t even a sack, was enough to make him a non-factor as the Seahawks didn’t score any touch downs. Mathias Kiwanuka and Dave Tollefson were the two players that actually got to Hasselbeck. I was extremely impressed with Kevin Dockery’s pick and 46 yard return. That was the last we saw of Hasselbeck. The Giants’ defense put up 0 of the 44 points.

Special Teams

John Carney was 3/3 in Field Goal Attempts, and he hasn’t missed a field goal yet this season. It will be interesting to see what the coaches do when Lawrence Tynes is healthy and ready to return. I would suggest that they ride out it out until he misses and then put Tynes in. The Giants’ special teams put up 9 of the 44 points.

So the Giants won their first four games which makes them perfect through the first quarter of the season. I picked them to do exactly that. The last time the Giants went 4-0 was in 1990 when they won Super Bowl XXV against the Bills. This game was over after the 1st Half. When was the last time you saw both starting Quarterbacks taken out of the game after the 3rd Quarter? The team that has so much trouble coming off of the bye week had no problem in 2008. The Giants travel to Cleveland next week to take on the Browns on Monday Night Football.

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The best part of yesterday’s game between the Giants and the Bengals was the simply the fact that the G-MEN won by a score of 26-23 in overtime. The Road Warriors won their second home game in as many games in the early 2008 season. These are the Road Warriors that could barely win at home in ‘07.

Offense

Eli Manning did not have a good game statistically. He went 26/43 which is a 60.47% completion percentage and threw for 289 yards and 1 TD. Even though Eli may not have helped out your fantasy team, he was able to counter every scoring drive that the Bengals had. If not with touch downs then with field goals. The Bengals played a much better game then I thought they were going to play, but I guess that’s how NFL teams are going to come to play the Champs. The Giants did not score on their opening drive in OT, but they did not go 3-and-out either. Manning was able to move the chains a bit before they were forced to punt. Eli also marched the Giants down the field when it mattered most during their second possession in overtime which set up the game winning field goal. Steve Smith and Amani Toomer both were key contributors in the Giants aerial attack as they combined for over 120 receiving yards. Manning hooked up with Kevin Boss for a TD to give the Giants the lead before the Bengals tied the game at the end of regulation. In OT, Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer made huge catches for gains of 30+ yards which allowed the Giants to attempt the game winning field goal. Earth, Wind, and Fire had a decent outing as they combined for 115. Derrick Ward had 80 yards on only 9 carries. The Giants’ offense put up 14 of the 26 points.

Defense

Big Blue was able to apply pressure on Carson Palmer all day, but Palmer kept on fighting to get the Bengals points and stay in the game. Fred Robbins was the beast of the day and finished the day with 3 Tackles, 2 Sacks, and a few batted balls at the line of scrimmage. Corey Webster, Barry Cofield, Mathias Kiwanuka, and Dave Tollefson were all able to get to Palmer as well. The Giants defense had 6 sacks for the second game in a row which is sweet. Antonio Pierce was all over the place as he ended up with 10 tackles. Even though the Giants were able to get to Carson all game, the Bengals were able to put up a bunch of points. Palmer took the hits and kept on going kind of like Tom Brady in Super Bowl XLII. The Big Blue Wrecking Crew were able to make some keys stops at the right time which made it easier for the Giants’ offense to keep pace with the Bengals. The Giants did not allow the Bengals to score in the 3rd Quarter, but you can see how hard they were trying to force the Bengals to punt. The Giants’ defense put up 0 of the 26 points.

Special Teams

John Carney was 4/4 in Field Goal Attempts. Reuben Droughns was effective on kickoff and punt coverage. Domenik Hixon was solid returning Kickoffs and Punts. The Giants’ special teams put up 12 of the 26 points.

So the Giants won their first three games. The last time the Giants went 3-0 was in 2000 when they lost Super Bowl XXXV to the Ravens. Do you remember last year when nobody knew if the Patriots got the good Randy Moss or the bad Randy Moss? After the Pats went 3-0, all of that undefeated chatter began. I haven’t seen a Sports Illustrated cover stating that the Giants are going undefeated. Our boys in blue get less respect than Rodney Dangerfield. This game was a back-and-forth offensive showdown that Big Blue was able to pull out in overtime. The Giants have a Bye Week in Week 4 so next on the schedule are the Seattle Seahawks.

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The best part of yesterday’s game between the Giants and the Rams was the final score which was 41-13. The Road Warriors went out to St. Louis seeking their 11th consecutive road win, and 12th if you include the Super Bowl. The G-MEN dominated the Rams in every way except for points during most of the game.

Offense

Eli Manning had a solid game as he went 20/29 which is a 68.96% completion percentage and threw for 260 yards and 3 TDs. Amani Toomer and Plaxico Burress both were key contributors in the Giants aerial attack as they combined for over 150 receiving yards. The ‘running back by committee’ had a solid outing as they combined for over 200 yards. Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward wore down the Rams’ defense. In the 4th Quarter, Ahmad Bradshaw ran into the end zone untouched once for a 31-yard TD run. The Bradshaw TD run was beautiful to watch because nobody got a hand on him. With all of that said, the Rams were able to keep the Giants from not getting into the end zone too much until the 4th Quarter when the Giants torched them for 3 TDs, one of which was a defensive touch down. The Giants’ offense put up 28 of the 41 points.

Defense

Big Blue was able to apply pressure on Marc Bulger all day. Justin Tuck was a beast as usual and finished the day with 3 Tackles, 2 Sacks, and 1 Interception that he returned for a Touch Down. Fred Robbins also had 2 Sacks which were his first sacks of the season. Antonio Pierce and Jay Alford also got to Bulger once. I really enjoyed the AP sack also because nobody even touched him as he went right up the middle. The Rams’ offense was unable to stop the Giants’ defense. The Giants’ defense put up 7 of the 41 points.

Special Teams

John Carney was 2/2 in Field Goal Attempts. Domenik Hixon was solid returning Kickoffs and Punts. The Giants’ special teams put up 6 of the 41 points.

So the Giants won their first two games. Big Blue turned this one into a blow out. You would’ve never known how close this game was in the 4th Quarter by looking at the final score. Next on the schedule are the Cincinnati Bengals.

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So I know you can’t tell much from the first pre-season game but you can definitely get a basic idea of who is the consistent no matter what player on the field.

My basic observation of the game begins with Derrick Ward. Not very good in the running game but great in the short pass situation. I think he’ll be a lethal weapon when used in play action plays. He seems to be more of a natural catcher and good at making strides after the catch for more gains. Eli Manning seemed very comfortable in the pocket and I can definitely see that it is all thanks to his offensive line. We’ll see great things from him this season again and spreading the ball around to different wide receivers is going to be every defense’s nightmare. Brandon Jacobs maintains sharpening up his cutting abilities which can only make him more dangerous. This guy is a beast as it is and if he develops more finesse with his run he’ll be more of a main target to defenders. Once this man gets past the second wave of defenders and is left to face the undersized cornerbacks and safeties, you know he’s going helmet to helmet with these guys. Kevin Boss is still the boss and showing why he’s the boss. The type of player who will surprise us the most is going to be this man here. Yes Shockey is gone but if you think we have a good back up, you’re wrong, this guy is a definite starter. A little more work on his blocking ability and we’ll have a well rounded tight end again, or we can depend on Madison Hedgecock. Hedgecock has become the real deal when it comes to blocking. His size is definitely something we can take advantage of, especially since he knows how to angle himself and push his own weight around. last but not least, Ahmad Bradshaw is looking very good once again. He has not lost a step since his outstanding performance last season and continues to look more and more like a number 2 running back. It’s amazing how the two punch has become more popular nowadays with the great talent that comes from these young players. Just like Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor from the Jacksonville Jaguars, our two headed monsters will show everyone this season the benefit of vision and power

We will soon see everyone in it for some real action. I can only imagine what this season is going to be like for our Giants, but I can tell you we are well prepared for the future.

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NFL.com had a poll where over 200,000 fans ranked all 32 teams for the 2008 season.  Here are the results:

1. Patriots - Core of team returns to avenge Super Bowl loss after perfect regular season.
2. Colts - Core of Super Bowl XLI team is still intact. Dwight Freeney should be ready for season.
3. Cowboys - Talented squad only got better during offseason with Pacman Jones, Zach Thomas.
4. Giants - Competition in NFC East should be tough as Super Bowl champs look to go back-to-back.

Who knows how this stuff works?  Big Blue is obviously the team to beat.  If you want your team to be No. 1 then beat the Champs.

According to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com, ”Cowboys cornerback Pacman Jones has received permission from the NFL to participate in offseason workouts, training camp, and the preseason.  However, he has not yet been reinstated to participate in regular-season games.”  It seems like Pacman may make it back into the NFL which is a shame.

Florio also reported that Terrell Owens will remain as a Cowboy because, “Owens, we’re told, will receive a signing bonus of nearly $13 million.  In all, he’s under contract for four years, and he’ll earn $34 million.”  Now we have to face this moron twice a year for four more years.

 Tuesday’s OTA Report - Michael Eisen pointed out that Amani Toomer was one of the more visible players on the field today.

Giants Bolster D-Line - Michael Eisen announced that the Giants signed DE Renaldo Wynn which other media outlets reported yesterday.  Eisen included a whole bunch of information about Wynn.

• Michael also reported that the Giants placed linebacker Keith O’Neil on their reserve/retired list.

New York Daily News:

Eli & Amani rekindle their chemistry - Ralph Vacchiano also covered the Giants OTAs.  Vacchiano also noted that:

• Jeremy Shockey, Plaxico Burress, Osi Umenyiora, Antonio Pierce and Michael Strahan did not attend.  AP is still on his honeymoon, and who knows where the rest of them were…
• David Tyree did not participate, though he was inside Giants Stadium doing rehab work for his knee.  “Tyree said his knee feels good and his rehab is right on schedule.  He expects to be ready for the start of training camp.”
• Derrick Ward “said he’s 90-95% healed from his broken fibula and isn’t limited at all in what he can do on the field.”
• Mathias Kiwanuka “said he’s getting closer to 100% too and didn’t seem limited on the field.”

New York Post:

WYNN LANDS WITH GIANTS

The Star-Ledger:

A few practice tidbits

Taking attendance at OTAs

Giants announce Wynn signing - Mike Garafolo included Jerry Reese’s and Tom Coughlin’s thoughts on the signing of Renaldo.

More on the Wynn signing - Mike Garafolo explains why the Giants didn’t sign Wynn until June 1 when Wynn first visited the Giants in mid-May.  Garafolo’s conclusion is, “Wynn’s signing on June 1 means he won’t impact the Giants’ chances for compensatory picks in next year’s draft.”

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After the unbelievable season we just had we are now officially back to business. Party time was great and the players were spoiled left and right but now they look towards what lies in front of them.

Looking at the Giants I do not see a reason to trade or release anyone (maybe a reserve). The team looks complete and now that they tasted victory, they will pursue that flavor once again. How good would it feel to get another crown and be known around the league as a brute force not to mess with? I can be realistic and say that we won’t finish the regular season undefeated but you can bet every game it’s going to be a nightmare for the opposite team.

First off, our defensive line it’s just going to be top notch. I believe they are going to be the boys who stand out the most. Linebackers are the second body who’ll make their presence felt closing gaps and shutting down short pass situations. The cornerbacks and safeties will step up big this year and hope that watching the tape will help them see where they get beat.

Our running game is going to be ridiculous. However order you like to place them in, Jacobs, Bradshaw, and Ward are going to take us to the top of the chart in rushing yards. Our wide receivers will be the consistent open wings on the field. Our offensive line is full of soldiers that help us stand tall to the team name, “Giants”.

It’s on again and the team is ready to begin their journey putting 07 behind. You better believe that these Giants are not the type to let their previous superbowl win affect this year’s performance. These guys would rather be known as the force that could not be stopped then win one superbowl and call it a career.

Something happened to these Giants late in the regular season, and it’s not going away. It does not have to be a dream and next season we’ll prove everyone wrong again

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Plaxico Burress is a popular guy these days.  For the second day in a row, he made a list on NFL.com.  This time, Pat Kirwan, “put together a list of the probable candidates poised to take the jump from solid starter to star in 2008.”  Pat’s list includes 10 players that he thinks will make the Pro Bowl for the first time in 2008, and Burress is number six on the list.  Here’s the explanation by Kirwan,

6. Plaxico Burress, WR, Giants: Burress established himself as a star during the Giants’ Super Bowl run. His performance in the NFC Championship Game in Green Bay set him apart from the pack. He has found the end zone 29 times in the regular season during his three years with the Giants. More than one fan claimed he’s the greatest offseason acquisition in the history of the Giants.

 Ice Cream Social - John Schmeelk informed us that Tom Coughlin hosted his annual Jay Fund Ice Cream Social at Giants Stadium on Friday.

New York Post:

WARD UPBEAT DESPITE MISSING SUPER BOWL - Derrick Ward had this to say about missing the Playoff run,

One of the hardest experiences I’ve ever been through. Being able to finally do something in the league and help contribute to the season we had and that not be able to play in the Super Bowl, I always dreamed about that when I was a little kid. I was just excited my teammates got me a Super Bowl ring.

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I was wondering how the New York Giants would handle Tiki Barber’s retirement.  You know how this stuff works.  Typically, an organization has a day in which they recognize the achievements of their greatest players.  This day is usually a pregame ceremony during the season where the player makes a speech about their career.  Tiki did everything he could to burn bridges with the Giants.  We all know what he did.  He called out the coaching staff and his teamates when the team lost in post game press conferences on multiple occasions.  He wrote a book where he bashed the Giants and stated that he might not of retired if Tom Coughlin was not the coach.  He was upset that Tom Coughlin didn’t treat him differently.  Then Tiki called out Eli Manning at the beginning of the 2007 season.  Tiki said it was almost comical watching Eli try to be a leader.  When the Giants reached the Super Bowl, they stated that they did not want Tiki there as a Giant.  They understood that Tiki would be there for his NBC gig, and that was enough for them.  So Tiki ticked off the Giants organization and the fans all on his own.  After all of this, how could the Giants host a day for Tiki Barber?  I would assume they have to because Tiki is the Giants All-Time leading rusher.  The Giants always take the high road because that’s the way Wellington Mara would want it.  I’m not going to lie, Tiki was my favorite player until they called out the coaching staff and his teamates after losing in Seattle.  Since then, Tiki has only gotten on my nerves more and more until the point where I’m through with the guy.  My point is that I want to know if the Giants will have a Tiki Barber day, and how would we, the NY Giants fans, treat Tiki Barber when that time comes?

Newsday:

New stadium has new CEO - Neil Best also reported that Mark Lamping will be the CEO of the new stadium.  Giants.com reported this yesterday.

New York Daily News:

RB Derrick Ward re-signs with Giants - Ralph Vacchiano also reported that Derrick Ward re-signed with the Giants.  The Star-Ledger reported this yesterday.  Vacchiano confirmed that the contract is for $1.1 million that includes another million in incentives.  In a statement released by the Giants, Ward said this about his new contract:

I had to keep my options open. But my main goal was to stay here with the Giants. The Giants gave me my start. It feels good to come back to hopefully have a good year this year and be a part of the Super Bowl champion Giants. Hopefully, I’ll be able to finish my career here.

Jerry Reese had this to say about Derrick:

We are glad to have Derrick back in our stable of running backs, which will create some real competition at that position. He brings a lot to the table as a runner, receiver, kick returner and cover specialist.

New York Post:

WARD OFF MARKET

The Star-Ledger:

Giants re-sign Ward to 1-year deal

Good read on Carr - Paul Needell reposted an article written by Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com, who used to cover the Carolina Panthers for the Charlotte Observer.  Yasinkas filed this column on new Giants QB David Carr earlier today.  Pat didn’t have many good things to say about Carr’s tenure in Carolina, as you will see when reading this article.  Yasinskas believes that the Giants are giving Carr his last shot to succeed in the NFL, so there is no room for failure.  Pat thinks that David understands what’s at stake and will take his last shot more seriously than he has taken his NFL career.

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I’m thrilled that the Giants re-signed Derrick Ward to a one-year deal.  However, I felt like he should have gotten more than a one-year contract.  From what I saw on the field, I thought Ward was the best all around back that the Giants had in 2007.  We know that Jacobs is a powerful back that wears out defenses, but he is unable to catch the ball whether it’s on a screen or a check down dump off that Eli has to make.  We also learned that Brandon gets hurt often for being too physical.  We know Bradshaw is the speedy back, but had some fumbling issues.  We haven’t seen Bradshaw play an entire game yet either.  Ward is a back who’s size is in the middle of Jacobs and Bradshaw, who can run up the gut, who can run to either side, and can catch the ball.  Since Ward has all of the tools to be a lead back, I don’t understand why the Giants didn’t go after Ward more aggresively.  The Giants allowed Derrick to go into free agency, and nobody picked him up which led to the Giants giving him a one-year deal.

 A Closer Look - John Schmeelk takes a closer look at the signing of free agent LB Danny Clark and QB David Carr.

Giants, Jets announce CEO for New Meadowland Stadium - Michael Eisen pointed out that the Giants and the Jets announced that Mark Lamping, who is the current President of the St. Louis Cardinals, has been named Chief Executive Officer of the new state-of-the-art stadium in the Meadowlands.  I was unaware that a stadium needed a CEO.  I guess the CEO of the Giants and the CEO of the Jets did not have the necessary qualifications.

Newsday:

Giants sign free-agent linebacker Clark

New York Daily News:

Giants sign linebacker Danny Clark

New York Post:

CLARK THRILLED TO BE JINT HIT MAN - Paul Schwartz found out how Clark feels about becoming a Giant, “I just want to be a part of this defense that is just tearing people apart.”  I love that answer and look forward to seeing Danny tear people apart too.

New York Times:

Lamping to Oversee Meadowlands Stadium Construction and Operations

The Star-Ledger:

Ward re-signs - Mike Garafolo reported that the Giants re-signed Derrick Ward to what ESPN is reporting is a one-year deal worth $1.1 million and the opportunity to earn another million.

Giants, Jets hire exec for Meadowlands stadium

Giants sign veteran LB Clark

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In addition to signing Asante Samuel, the Eagles also signed DE Chris Clemons from the Raiders to a 5-year contract.  The Eagles have been quite busy and they are even interested in going after Randy Moss…so are the Cowboys.  So the influx of talent in the NFC East will make it even harder to repeat.  The Cowboys also have been busy, but the Redskins and the Giants have not.  We will have to keep a close eye on the NFL Draft because that’s the route the G-MEN are going to take.

 Mailbag for February 29, 2008 - Michael Eisen answers questions from Jints fans.

Did you Know? - Michael Eisen had a Q&A Session with Rich Seubert regarding his tenure on the Giants.

Newsday:

Giants lose Mitchell, Torbor and Wilson - By the time I wrote yesterday, we already knew that Mitchell went to Buffalo and Torbor went to Miami.  Later on in the day, Gibril Wilson agreed to a 6-year deal with the Oakland Raiders worth $39 million according to Bob Glauber.  Damn…that was quick.

New York Daily News:

Giants lose three from defense - Ralph Vacchiano covered the same story as Newsday.

New York Post:

WILSON, MITCHELL, AND TORBOR LEAVE JINTS - Paul Schwartz covered the same story as Newsday.

New York Times:

Giants Lose Three Players in Free Agency - The New York Times covered the same story as Newsday.

Samuel Leaves Patriots for a 6-Year Deal With the Eagles - Judy Battista reported that the Eagles ended up signing Asante Samuel as rumored.  Samuel signed a 6-year deal estimated at $10 million per year.  I don’t want talented people in the NFC East that aren’t part of the Big Blue Wrecking Crew.  Samuel is good for a pick every other game, and now we have to face him twice a year for 6 years.

The Star-Ledger:

…but don’t rule out Wilson - Mike Garafolo stated that he believes that Sammy Knight visited the Denver Broncos and left without a contract.  He also said that Eugene Wilson is still available.

Coleman gone - Mike Garafolo pointed out that Erik Coleman of the Jets has signed with the Atlanta Falcons so cross him off the list of possible candidates.

Giants lose 3 starters

Needell: Don’t freak over losing Wilson, either

Wilson gone

Needell: Eagles sign Samuel

Afternoon tidbits - Mike Garafolo provided a few tidbits yesterday afternoon:

• The Giants are also interested in Trent Green as a backup QB.
• Yahoo! reported that the Giants are interested in CB Jason Webster and DE N.D. Kalu.
• Derrick Ward has not left the G-MEN yet.

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