Ringing in the New Year with Ernie P.

by Ed Valentine on Jan 1, 2010 11:00 AM EST in New York Giants News

For the final time this season Ernie Palladino and I are swapping questions about the Giants. Read my answers to these same questions over at Ernie's Giants Beat.

1. Given the state of the defense this year, what would you do with coordinator Bill Sheridan after Sunday?

Ernie's Answer: Boy, you could really be nasty here. But I'm not going to be. Look, Sheridan tried. He did what he thought was best. The problem was, he tried to put his stamp on a system that worked so well under Steve Spagnuolo that it didn't need fixing. He simply wasn't up to the task. I'd have like to have seen what this defense would have been like with a healthy Kenny Phillips, but that wasn't the hand he was dealt. Sometimes you win, sometimes you go bust. Sheridan went bust. Time to get rid of him and get somebody like Dick Jauron in there. That guy's got a great pedigree as a defensive coordinator, and even better, he was with Tom Coughlin in Jacksonville.

2. Osi Umenyiora said after last week's game that this could be his final game as a Giant. Do you agree?

Ernie's Answer: Absolutely not. Coughlin said as much Monday. For all his troubles this year, remember that Umenyiora was coming off a knee surgery that typically takes more than a year to come back from. Now, does he come back next year as a starter? I'm not sure of that, considering Mathias Kiwanuka proved he's so much better against the run. But I wouldn't mind seeing Umenyiora as a situational pass rusher. Line him up on third down so he doesn't have to worry about the run, and let him concentrate on decking the quarterback. That's always been his strong suit, anyway. And maybe after an offseason of rest, we'll see the old speed and strength that made him such a force opposite Michael Strahan in 2007.

3. Does this team need a major overhaul, or is it enough just to tweak certain areas?

Ernie's Answer: I'm going with tweak. Overhaul to me suggests a housecleaning top to bottom, including the head coach. Tom Coughlin should not be going anywhere, and the reasons for that are many. Yes, they need a new defensive coordinator. But the rest of the staff can stay, including that Gilbride fellow you all seem to be down on. The offense could use some younger blood up front, but should be OK otherwise. The defense? Well, you can't ship everybody out. Another safety to go along with Phillips, a middle linebacker, and some quality depth up front will help turn that unit around. And unlike Ed, who appears very down on Jeff Feagles, I believe he's still got at least another season left in him providing the coaches get out of his ear and let him do his job. There is talent there. It just needs to get back to full strength.

4. We now here that Brandon Jacobs has been bothered by a knee injury for much of the season. Do you buy that as an excuse for his sub-par performance this year?

Ernie's Answer: No, not really. If you ask me, the things the coaching staff had him doing bothered him a lot more than any knee injury. Jacobs is a between-the-tackles power guy, a battering ram. Put the pads down and hit somebody. He was asked way too often to work the edges, and that's just not his game. The knee does work into that to some extent, since the coaches seemed intent on sending him out there to preserve him for the late season run. But that, as we all see now, failed anyway. So next year they should put him back in his old role, let him bang away, and put up with his legendary fragility. If he has to miss a few games, he misses. But to blame all this on a knee injury that never cost him a practice or an appearance on the injury report seems disingenuous at best.

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Feagles

has really looked weak to me this season; we need to be looking now for his replacement. Tynes can’t kick it into the endzone (yeh I know he did it a FEW times), and field position is really important if we are to be a “grind it out” or “impose our will with the running game” type of team. Heck, field position is important regardless. We surely can do better at both positions.

We didn't even have a chance for the "perfect season", but we did have the perfect ending.

by GAgiantfan on Jan 1, 2010 12:18 PM EST reply actions

Your absolutely right on about Tynes..

He has had a great season overall statistically, but he can’t reach the End-zone on kick-offs and it is killing us..Plus he stinks with any kick less than 40-45 yards. Feagles, I agree with Ernie he has been doing this for so long they should just let him figure out what needs to be done instead of telling him what to do..I think he still has some time left on that boot.

by Bobbiblue on Jan 1, 2010 5:22 PM EST up reply actions

I'll also submit that anytime your punter is forced..

To kick from the end-zone or inside the 20..then that is a sheer sign that the rest of the team sucks.

by Bobbiblue on Jan 1, 2010 5:27 PM EST up reply actions

A punter that can do kickoffs

very useful

by mclaren_is_the_best on Jan 2, 2010 6:58 AM EST up reply actions

I am laughing

and crying at the same time. So true.

We didn't even have a chance for the "perfect season", but we did have the perfect ending.

by GAgiantfan on Jan 2, 2010 10:01 PM EST up reply actions

agreed

He’s looked AWFUL. By far the best punter in the NFC the past few seasons, he hasn’t even been close to what he was. He’s old, let him retire.

E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!!!

by Joe_D on Jan 1, 2010 6:09 PM EST up reply actions

As far as Jacobs & running game go...

I feel that as well as the receivers worked this year, not having a “burner type” (i.e. D. Jackson) to attract double teams and stretch the defense allowed opposing defenses to put 7-8 in the box. This made it tougher for a big, strong but not very fast/quick back like BJ to get to that second level where he causes all his damage. having Plax helped the most in this regard. Hopefully, one of our current receivers steps up in this role or we get someone via the draft or FA.

by ZZZZMD on Jan 1, 2010 12:22 PM EST via mobile reply actions

So...

now Plaxico was a ‘burner type’.

Sad that the overrating of Burress continues….

by FreeBradshaw on Jan 1, 2010 3:09 PM EST up reply actions

now he's more of the

bend-over type. heyyooohhhhhhh!

by cntrlalt on Jan 1, 2010 3:40 PM EST up reply actions

burner

Amazing, isn’t it? And I’ve heard it before. That, and that he stretched the field.

by blue gonz on Jan 1, 2010 5:16 PM EST up reply actions

Plax wasn't a classic "burner" ...

but with that very elongated stride, he could get more than normal separation immediately off of his break, which did allow him to get double moves deep, as DB’s had to react immediately to his break.

by Shofner85 on Jan 1, 2010 5:24 PM EST up reply actions

He wasn't a "burner type"..

But he did draw double coverage and Defenses didn’t crowd the box nearly as much this year. What ever the “type” of receiver and whether he is over rated or not, the bottom line was his presence helped keep Defenses honest and helped open up our run game. Hopefully, Barden will progress and fill this need.

by ZZZZMD on Jan 1, 2010 6:46 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

oops! I meant defenses didn't crowd the box LAST year nearly as much.

by ZZZZMD on Jan 1, 2010 6:47 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

No denying that. That was his value

he certainly wasn’t a burner and he didn’t stretch the field in the normal way that term is used (ie, verically.) I suppose you could say he somehow stretched it horizontally by discouraging Ds from crowding the box.

by blue gonz on Jan 1, 2010 7:16 PM EST up reply actions

i guess "stretching" was the wrong term.

Whatever you want to call it- he opened things up for the running game.

by ZZZZMD on Jan 1, 2010 7:53 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

The only thing I'll say that Plaxico

IN REALITY…did for the running game…

was BLOCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Toomer and Plaxico BLOCKED VERY WELL DOWNFIELD !!!!!!!!!!!!!

…that’s it. He didn’t stretch anything…the only thing that stretched was the drawstring on his sweats that allowed the glock to slip.

Plax Blocked. Toomer…Blocked.

That’s it peoples.

I’ll say that Steve Smith and HAM are a bit of panzies…Hixon too. Nicks probably can do it…he’s a bit bigger and stronger.

This is the problem, keeping all the DB’s away..chipping at the OLB’s.

That’s what Plaxico brought….and Toomer…mainly Toomer tho, but Plax was better then the current crop at BLOCKING ONLY.

by FreeBradshaw on Jan 1, 2010 8:09 PM EST up reply actions

I'm bigger than smith

and I’m not football material.

I think we can say smith gets a pass on being unable to block

Never assume skill at bouncing a ball makes you smarter than the guy who built the court.

When there's a WILL there's a WAY

by Willgfass on Jan 1, 2010 8:48 PM EST up reply actions

He does...

so does Manningham.

…but I’m just saying, this is a huge reason why the running game is not a success this year.

Not, the D was playing back cuz of Plaxico garbage. THat’s not true, they had 8-9 in the box then too (probably more often).

by FreeBradshaw on Jan 1, 2010 9:27 PM EST up reply actions

Yea Free I'm with you

this we don’t have Plax thats why we’re 8-8 this year and are under .500 since last year is really just something the ESPN’s and Joe Bucks are creating because they don’t know any better. Plax’s abseces killed them LAST year becasue he was a big part of the game plan and it was tough to replace a guy like that 12 weeks into the season. Manningham was not ready, Nicks was at UNC and Smith was only running slot routes. THat left Amani on his last legs and Hixon. THrow in the fact that we had to play the Eagles who more than any team could expoloit the lost of a guy like Plax and you have the disaster that happend. If we don’t play Philly last year, we still get to the SB but thats just me.

Second, by the end of the year Smitty was drawing double teams, Collingsworth made that point during the Eagle game they were rolling some coverages to Smith thats why Nicks was so wide open he was beating man coverage all night and Boss as leaking into empty zones. No they don’t have one dominate guy like Plax but they have 3 quick playmaing guys that if their not accounted for will beat you they showed that this year several times and they’re still extremely young so they’ll only get better. The o-line did not block great and Jacobs ran soft thats why they run game was not as good, not becasue Plax was not there and teams just put 8 in the box, I’m so sick of hearing that. The only thing that got exposed on the Giants O this year is the fact BJ is not a great running back just a good one that relies on great blocking.

by Landeta on Jan 1, 2010 9:04 PM EST up reply actions

Free good point..

But Plax never actually threw a block on anybody..He was however big enough to get in the way, which counts..Amani actually threw himself at people..which I found amazing..but I’m sure he constantly got his butt chewed out for it..These young guys we have now will learn..don’t ever expect Smith to be a blocking receiver, but I think Mario and Nicks and if we ever see him Barden will be..Not true fundamental blockers, but more like a Plaxico..Receivers are basically coached to get in the way not kill themselves, just interfere achieve the objective and not get hurt..there is a double edge sword if you coach them to throw their bodies at people.

by Bobbiblue on Jan 2, 2010 2:57 AM EST up reply actions

When he was with the Steelers,

one of the things they didn’t like about him was that he couldn’t or wouldn’t block like Hines Ward. Ward is a true anamoly, a WR who plays with the mental attitude of an LB. As you say though, Plax more got in the way of would be tacklers than blocked them. I do remember Plax and Amani throwing some good blocks downfield on occasion.

by blue gonz on Jan 2, 2010 7:09 AM EST up reply actions

Yes Hines Ward is a freak of nature..but he's also gotten himself hurt..

Strange thing is he bounces right back..

by Bobbiblue on Jan 2, 2010 9:33 AM EST up reply actions

Thanks Mr. Feagles, but....

I’ve got nothing against the guy, and he’s had a great career. However, the name of his game for several years has been guaranteeing decent field position, not raw strength, and consistantly this year the Giant’s opponents have had short fields to work with. Part of it has been the underwhelming special teams play in general, but part of it is Feagles inabiity to deliver distance and wavering consistancy in delivering placement as well. I’m not even opposed to giving him a chance in training camp, but either he’s got to show more than this year, or it’s time for someone else. Either way, the team needs someone in camp to make sure there’s an alternative in place.

by Cranky50 on Jan 1, 2010 12:43 PM EST reply actions

His net yardage was forty, which isn't bad,

but he really had some terrible, non-Feagles type kicks. He deserves a shot in training camp.

by blue gonz on Jan 1, 2010 5:19 PM EST up reply actions

I agree George..

At his age, with alot left in his boot, he deserves a shot to comeback..alot of his shit-kicks were due to over-coaching..He’s 43 years old and should be allowed to just run out and figure out what to do with the ball..He’s the least of our worries..We need on the otherhand a frigging guy that can reach the end-zone on kickoffs..Feagles is not the prime reason we’re giving teams a short field to work with..Tynes and our offense is the reason.

by Bobbiblue on Jan 2, 2010 3:07 AM EST up reply actions

...and our un-special teams..

by Bobbiblue on Jan 2, 2010 3:10 AM EST up reply actions

That's why I like CC and Rouse.

Those are the kind of guys who make good STers. George Allen would have loved them. Do you remember Mickey Walker? He was a maniac the Giants kept just to break the wedge, the only STer I can recall who got some ink.

by blue gonz on Jan 2, 2010 7:14 AM EST up reply actions

Yeah I remember Walker..He was nuts..

Another wild man was Pat Fisher on the Skins…He was like 5’8" 130 lbs soaken wet and hit like a wrecking-ball..I think he retired with less than 1/2 a tooth left in his mouth..Players like that don’t spend much time in retirement doing SUDOKU puzzles, that’s for sure…Of course Fisher was a corner, not necessarily a ST guy.

by Bobbiblue on Jan 2, 2010 9:43 AM EST up reply actions

Leslie Frazier

I’d like him as our defensive coordinator or head coach.

by GhostDini on Jan 1, 2010 12:55 PM EST reply actions

head coach? you're crazy

by nygmp42 on Jan 1, 2010 4:58 PM EST up reply actions

How do you figure?

It’s not unreasonable for the Giants to get a younger guy to lead this team. Guys like Sparano, Payton, Smith, Tomlin, Reid, McCarthy, and Whisenhunt are/were young guys when hired.

by GhostDini on Jan 1, 2010 5:29 PM EST up reply actions

i don't think

the comment reflected frazier’s credentials, just that the giants have no need for a new head coach for the forseeable future.

by cntrlalt on Jan 1, 2010 5:39 PM EST up reply actions

coughlin was being called the best coach in the NFL a little over a year ago today.

only in new york do we look for change so rapidly. Just look at Jeff Fisher, he’s been through the ups and downs but Tennessee has, rightfully so, stuck to him.

by nygmp42 on Jan 1, 2010 9:41 PM EST up reply actions

Not by anybody in their right mind

If someone was calling Coughlin the best coach in the NFL over Belichek, Holmgren, and others, then they were crazy. I never said that I wanted Coughlin fired. However, that doesn’t preclude me from liking Leslie Frazier as our coach of the future. He’s been a defensive coordinator and he’d probably have to be promised the HC job after Coughlin retires to come here. My point, on which I didn’t properly evaluate, was that I would have no problem with him having the reigns at some point.

by GhostDini on Jan 2, 2010 11:34 AM EST up reply actions

That Ernie..He thinks so much like me that..

We may have been related in another life..His last name ends in a vowel so it isn’t this life..lol..Anyway I agree with everything he said..and I would only add that Osi needs to accept his future role..I don’t think he will.

by Bobbiblue on Jan 1, 2010 5:16 PM EST reply actions

I think Osi would accept it if he played a lot of downs.

I mean it’s a passing league now-a-days so if a guy is a pass rush specailist he should still get a ton of snaps. I think what set Osi off was that Carolina is very much a running team so that limited his snaps drasticly and Osi was told he was benched becasue he could not stop the run. Carolina goes ahead and rushes for over 200 yards and he barley plays but was told he was the problem. I could see his point a bit and my initial reaction would to be upset too. I mean he did not complain after Dallas, Philly, and Wash, probabbly becasue he got a lot of reps becasue of the passing situations and well the G-men stopped the run those games so he would look foolish if he did.

by Landeta on Jan 1, 2010 9:12 PM EST up reply actions

That's a very good point Land...

Osi is not the only guy that hasn’t played well against the run..Last week nobody did, so I could understand some of his frustration..Overall, you have to pin alot of this fundamental weakness on coaching..I know it is impossible to practice tackling because of the risk, but it has to be an inherent part of a players skill-set and constantly focussed on, along with blocking. Afterall, blocking and tackling are the two key basic fundamentals. I think Sheridans schemes have been way too complex to the point where nobody knows what they are doing or supposed to be doing..When I first started hearing hints from players about a lack of communication I got concerned..The play-clock is 30 seconds and the defense has about 10 seconds of that to read and adjust for the anticipated play. I think losing AP really made these issues surface, in fact I beieve it was Goff that came right out and said he had no idea where to line-up for a play..Now that is scary and that is poor coaching. I have no doubt that our players have the ability to hit and tackle, but if their left guessing they will and have been consistently getting burned for yardage. A good offense has the primary objective to make a defense guess, in our case it seems like our defensive unit has taken that burden away from an opposing offense because they are out guessing themselves…and again that is poor coaching…Let me pick one player out that we love to pick on, CC Brown..He’s a vicious tackler, big, fast..He has made absolutely zero improvement..He has the skills but hasn’t grown at all, and that is poor coaching..A good coaching staff succeeds by teaching AND utilizing a players strengths. I’ve seen none of that throught the course of this season. As much as I love Coughlin, I have to pin some blame on him too..When I watch him on the sidelines he looks like a guy whos staff bull-shitted him all week. Sheridan to me is an “inanimate object” on the sideline, I can’t stand that..When the shit is hitting the fan, every good coach I’ve seen over the years has his group huddled up on the bench furiously making adjustments and pointing out things that are going wrong and what needs to be corrected..Sheridan does none of that, and putting him upstairs won’t change a thing..launching his butt on the space shuttle every Sunday won’t help. The reason these players are confused on the field is because the DC is confused on the sideline. Even if they installed GPS Transceivers in the players helmets, they wouldn’t know where the hell they were supposed to be…These guys also need to go to the Lawrence Taylor School of Defense..When in doubt hit somebody..sends them a message that basically says" “If the ball travels through my space there will be alot of hurting going on”..

by Bobbiblue on Jan 2, 2010 1:56 AM EST up reply actions

One point

It wasn’t Goff who didn’t know how to line up. It was Sintim. That is one of the reasons he has not played much.

by Ed Valentine on Jan 2, 2010 9:28 AM EST up reply actions

Thanks Ed, I wasn't sure which player said that..but still it blows your mind when a player

comes out and says that..Just another obvious indicator that there is a problem here with coaching.

by Bobbiblue on Jan 2, 2010 9:50 AM EST up reply actions

Sintim

I think his lack of progress this season is one reason you will likely see Jim Herrmann, the LB coach, get his walking papers Sunday night. Sintim should have been a playmaker for this team, and it is inexcusable that the coaching staff could not get him ready.

by Ed Valentine on Jan 2, 2010 11:38 AM EST up reply actions

Or maybe Sintim is just not as good the as the Giants thought

not every pick we ever make will turn out to be good and it doesn’t look like Sintim did much more in college than rush the passer like a DE. He probably looks lost in space in training and also isn’t shedding blockers as well as a SLB should.

by mclaren_is_the_best on Jan 2, 2010 12:17 PM EST up reply actions

its why they call them rookies...

some are farther along..some take some time.

Sintim being hurt, and not on practice field even during the season, hurt him.

Yea..its not unheard of for a player to be a dud..even Reese is not immune from it.

But give him time.

In the 2010 NBA draft the NY Knicks select.....Nate Robinson. 5"9 PG from Pringles' Doghouse U!

by FreeBradshaw on Jan 2, 2010 1:01 PM EST up reply actions

He played OLB in a 3-4 in college

so yea he was a lot like a pass rushing D-End. I think the Giants drafted him based on talent, he was projected as a first rounder in some mock drafts leading up to the 09 draft so I’m not sure they expected him to make a big impact this year and knew he would take time to develop. Manningham was similar I’m hoping we get the same improvement out of Sintim next year that we got out of Ham this year. We’ll see though they should still bring in some LB’s.

by Landeta on Jan 2, 2010 4:17 PM EST up reply actions

I would love Osi on the Eagles

I’ve always thought he was over rated as an overall DE, but I think he could be a great pass rush specialist on passing downs.

E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!!!

by Joe_D on Jan 1, 2010 6:10 PM EST reply actions

You get it, Joe,

but Osi doesn’t. They want to keep him as a pass rush specialist, he wants to play every down.

by blue gonz on Jan 1, 2010 6:25 PM EST up reply actions

hmmmm

The running game improved when teams realized the
" let eli beat us" game plan didn’t work…I agree that KG in his effort to be unpredictable..by running bj outside didn’t help him get going..his knee maybe was 50/50 the issue…

I think the D will be fine next season with or without BS…a tweak here & there along with health should do the trick…

My 1 gripe is we tend to use thw young guys as a last resort..instead I wld rather we use them early in the season so will know better if we can use them later on..!!!

i dunno maybe I just like the colors

by Mr.Williams on Jan 1, 2010 7:24 PM EST via mobile reply actions

About Jacobs...

I’ve been reading a lot about how Jacobs shouldn’t be testing the edges but rather kept between the tackles. I have never thought that. Some of his greatest runs were from tosses to the outside from Eli which enabled him to blast through safeties and corners that were up for run support.

I also think that he has more success when Bradshaw is in the backfield with him than he does with Hedgecock paving the way. With Jacobs and the fullback in the game together the Giants only run a couple of plays and the defense is quick to key on them.

And while I’m talking about the fullback may we please, never, ever waste another down by throwing to him?

by giant fan since 57 on Jan 2, 2010 5:22 AM EST reply actions

Very good points..

However, Jacobs is built to hammer down the defense..That frees up AB to burst through and work his magic..Those short swing passes to BJ are great because it frees him out of the level one defense and gets him into second level territory where he becomes very dangerous..and it forces the defense to stop loading the box..Last year and the year before the Giants had what I would equate to a “Leap Frog” running game..They would run Jacobs on a collision course a few plays and then out hops Ward taking off through the daylight BJ creates..As games progressed he would bust through a worn-out defense for big chunks of yards..and they didn’t know who they were going to have to tackle..The coined phrase was Earth, Wind and Fire..I call it Leap Frogging. I have been somewhat critical of BJ this year..I don’t think his knee is or has been a big issue with him..but then again I am glad they have decided to package him up for next year..Also in his defense he wasn’t getting enough touches this year..and I blame our lousy defense for forcing us into a pass first offense..They never had the chance to get his motor running with less than a dozen carries per game..But he did have a tendency to shy away from the gut and try to break it outside..I would have loved to see those short swing passes occur early on to flush out the box, then have him hammer them down the gut..The silver lining here is that our young receiving core has been forced to grow up quickly and next year is going to be mighty interesting with that and a healthy set of running backs..but we have to get back to a run first offense with a blended, balanced passing attack..that’s Giants football..and of course they need to fix this pathetic defense, because it all starts there.

by Bobbiblue on Jan 2, 2010 10:59 AM EST up reply actions

You're right about BJ having success

running wide. This year he didn’t do much going wide. They seemed to try it more than usual this year, which might explain lack of success. That and the fact that he was tiptoeing. How we raked Goose over the coals for pointing that out. I’m hoping the explanation is the knee. A torn miniscus is not a severe injury, but can certainly hinder performance.

by blue gonz on Jan 2, 2010 7:20 AM EST reply actions