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TC still has sense of humor

by Ed Valentine on Nov 20, 2009 2:52 PM EST in News Comment 1 comment

You might not be laughing about the state of the New York Giants these days. Head coach Tom Coughlin, though, showed Friday he still has a sense of humor.

Check out this exchange talking about how healthy his team is heading into Sunday's game.

Q. Everybody made it through the week healthy, all 53 guys?

A. So far. We haven’t showered yet.

Sarcastic, yes. But also funny.

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New York Giants notes: Hating the Dallas Cowboys isn't hard

by Ed Valentine on Nov 20, 2009 8:40 AM EST in News Comment 48 comments

Hating the Dallas Cowboys comes almost as naturally to New York Giants fans as rooting for our own team. In fact, it's pretty much a requirement.

So, when The Washington Post's football blog, The League, asked me to weigh in on why the Cowboys are one of the most loathed franchises in sports, I was only too happy to oblige.

Here is a small snippet of what I wrote for the Post.

Dallas hasn't won a playoff game since 1996. Yet, ask Cowboy fan and he will tell you his team was the best in the league each and every one of those seasons. Everybody else just got lucky. In the eyes of Cowboy fan, the team has not yet been created that deserves the privilege of stepping on the same field with Dallas.

(Read the full piece here.)

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Do you know what time it is? It's Ernie P. time

by Ed Valentine on Nov 20, 2009 7:00 AM EST in News Comment 18 comments

It's Friday, and that means time for my weekly swap of questions with long-time New York Giants beat writer Ernie Palladino. My answers to these same questions are over at Ernie's Giants Beat.

Ernie and I have largely been on the same page with most of our answers this season. Interestingly, The Aaron Ross question below (which was Ernie's question) is the first time I can remember where we completely disagree.

Ernie wants to see Aaron Ross at corner with Terrell Thomas moving to safety. I want Ross at safety, since Thomas is doing a good job, Ross has some experience at safety and I am afraid doing the opposite might cause problems at two positions.

I will be interested to see how you guys feel about this one.

1. We haven't seen much of the no-huddle offense this year. Do you think a return to it in spots could help the Giants' offense?

Ernie's Answer: Absolutely. This subject caused quite a spirited and divided debate at my place (http://erniepalladinosgiantsbeat.blogspot.com) on Tuesday. Remember back in '07 and '08 when they ran the no-huddle? It was so effective that it had all us reporter types asking why in the world they only use it in spots. It had to be explained to us that it's actually exhausting for the offense because the wide receivers have to sprint back to the line to set up for the next play. That makes sense, but we're not talking about using it all game long. We're talking key spots, especially when the offense appears it's about to stall. The thing about the no-huddle is that it's not necessarily a hurry-up, though some similar principles apply to the two-minute drill. It forces the defense to keep the same personnel on the field because of the possibility of a quick snap. And keeping that defense static opens the possibility of mismatches downfield. And you can run out of it. Honestly, except for the inexperience of a receiving corps that probably benefitted from the tranquility of the huddle while getting the play, I don't know why the Giants stopped using it. Maybe now that Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham are more experienced in the offense, and therefore more able to make those snap adjustments you need to make from the no-huddle, we'll be seeing more of it. If they're ever going to go back to it, this would be the ideal time.

2. Just how big is this game with Atlanta?

Huge. Bigger than the San Diego game. Why? Because this is a conference game that could figure into a tie-breaker situation at the end of the season. Let's say the Giants finish 9-7 and are in the wildcard hunt. A win here gives them a head-to-head over Atlanta. Plus, the division tie-breaker includes conference record as the fourth criteria. In fact, if they're going to throw away any game from here on out, the Thanksgiving night matchup with Denver would be the one. All the rest are conference and division games, and they're all basically must-win games.

3. Now that Danny Ware can carry the ball, how would you use him?

Sparingly. Well, maybe that's too strong a word. I'd throw him in there in the fourth quarter when leading to kill the clock, much as the Giants deployed Ahmad Bradshaw for the most part. Look, Ware seems like a pretty strong runner. But there is still an issue with the elbow he dislocated on the first kickoff of the season. Until the coaches stop worrying about his ability to secure the ball, I'd be very cautious about overusing him. Besides, what this offense needs is not Danny Ware, but more Brandon Jacobs. I've long held that Jacobs needs to get the ball between 20 and 25 times. With Bradshaw penciled in for another seven to 10 carries at least, there would be few carries for Ware, anyway. The fact that Kevin Gilbride and Jerald Ingram just can't wait to put the kid in concerns me. They should be more worried about getting Jacobs in there more. I'm not saying Ware won't someday become a great back. But at this point, he's an extra, not a star. And he should be used as such.

4. Assuming Aaron Ross will be able to play, would you put him at cornerback or safety?

I stick him at corner. If he'd been playing all along, I'd have switched him to safety three games ago. He played a bit there in college and, to me, seems like a good enough tackler to handle the job. But there's a learning curve that goes with switching a guy over, and having been out since the summer with that hamstring problem, putting him at safety right now would be a bit of an overload. I'd rather see him work his way back at corner, with Terrell Thomas going to safety. Remember, we don't know how much Ross can play. Chances are he's going to have to start with a limited workload -- a few snaps -- to prove to the staff he's back all the way. After a couple of games and a possible return to starter, then you can think about switching him if necessary. But I have a feeling that if Thomas goes over there, Ross won't need to move, anyway.

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New York Giants Notebook: 11.19.09

by Jim Schmiedeberg on Nov 19, 2009 9:15 AM EST in News Comment 38 comments

Good Morning Giants fans, only 3 more days until the Giants take the field and get this whole thing turned around.
Here is your morning news and notes from the world of the New York Giants:

In speaking with the media yesterday, Eli Manning said the bye week gave the Giants time to take a fresh look at this season: (click link for full transcript)

We looked at the whole season. You look at the good things, you look at the bad things. You make some corrections, you see what you are doing well and what you need to improve on. You learn from all those things. It is a good time to analyze your play and where you can improve and what you need to fix for the next seven weeks.

If Tom Coughlin is excited to finally have almost his whole defense back and ready to go: (click link for full transcript)

Well, obviously we have had some injuries and we have had guys we have had to get back. We have got them back. So we are excited about that. Now let’s hope we can build some endurance and some opportunities on the practice field to get these guys ready to play.

Atlanta coach Mike Smith talked about whether or not Matt Ryan is going through a sophomore slump: (click link for full transcript)

I think his numbers are comparable when you start talking about completion percentage and touchdowns to where they were at this time last year. Of course, Matt had an outstanding rookie season and playing quarterback in the NFL, to me, is one of the most difficult positions there is. We know that Matt has got to play better. He knows that he has got to play better. But there is a learning curve and it is not something that happens in a very short time. It is something that you have to experience and Matt is going through those experiences right now.

More after the jump.......

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A chat with The Falcoholic

by Ed Valentine on Nov 19, 2009 7:28 AM EST in News Comment 35 comments

via i.cdn.turner.com

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The Atlanta Falcons come to the Meadowlands to face the New York Giants Sunday in a make-or-break game for both 5-4 teams. This week I chatted with Dave Choate, lead blogger over at The Falcoholic, about his team.

Dave Choate: I guess the most obvious question is what exactly happened over the last four weeks to the Giants? Can you pin it on any one thing?

Big Blue View: How did I know that would be the first question? What happened to them? They are missing in action. If they turn up somewhere down South, please let me know. Actually, it has probably been a combination of factors. Through five games they only played one good team (Dallas). The last four weeks have all been against very good teams, and they have exposed the flaws in the Giants defense.

Also, it is entirely possible that this team is not as good as we thought it was going to be. The defense has not been dominant, although Sunday will be the healthiest they have been all season.

Dave Choate: That makes sense.

With the Falcons also struggling, how concerned are you about our ability to hang some points on that defense?

Big Blue View: I'd be concerned about Notre Dame being able to hang some points on that defense, to tell you the truth. This team was supposed to be built around a dominant defense and it just hasn't worked out that way.

Injuries (Kenny Phillips, Chris Canty, Aaron Ross, Michael Boley, Justin Tuck) have really hurt this team. They get Ross back for the first time all season on Sunday and will be as close to full strength as they have been all season. Maybe, just maybe, we start to see the defense the Giants thought they had.

So, summarize the Falcons season for me. They have an identical record to the Giants at 5-4. Are they as inconsistent as that record indicates?

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New York Giants News & Notes: Jeff Feagles a Pro Bowler?

by cjmulrain on Nov 18, 2009 7:15 AM EST in News Comment 37 comments

The 2007 Giants and Cowboys will both tell you that Pro Bowl balloting is a meaningless honor, but it's pretty funny that the only Giant who is currently leading his position in voting is punter Jeff Feagles, who has not been having his best season, to say the least. The Giants are a 5-4 team desperately clinging to their playoff hopes, so they shouldn't do as well as they did in Pro Bowl voting last year, but I have to think at least one of Chris Snee, Shaun O'Hara, or Justin Tuck deserves to be a starter.

Giants Enjoy Bye Week

With the Eagles and Cowboys losing and the Michael Turner injury, the Giants had their best Sunday in over a month. Ralph Vachianno recaps.

The bye also helped the Giants get refreshed, with reports that practice this week has been sharp.

Perhaps most importantly, Justin Tuck and Eli Manning were able to use the bye week to heal up some of their injuries. The Giants need those two as healthy as they can be if they want to contend for the Super Bowl this year.

Other Notes

The Giants are lodging a complaint about having to travel to Denver to play on Thanksgiving on a shortened week.
The NY Times 5th Down Blog continues its countdown of the top Giants moments at Giants Stadium with Tiki Barber's 206-yard game against the Redskins the Sunday after Wellington Mara passed away.

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Breaking news: Bills fire Jauron

by Ed Valentine on Nov 17, 2009 5:35 PM EST in News Comment 18 comments

From NFL.com:

The Buffalo Bills have fired coach Dick Jauron after directing the team to a 3-6 record.

Defensive coordinator Perry Fewell is expected to become the Bills' interim head coach, a Bills source told NFL.com's Vic Carucci. The team said Jauron's replacement would be announced later. Jauron's successor is expected to come from the current staff and be on an interim basis only.

"I am announcing today that I am relieving Dick Jauron from his duties as our head coach, effective immediately," Bills owner Ralph Wilson said in a statement. "I have tremendous respect for Dick and thank him for all of his efforts during these past four years. While this was a very difficult decision, I felt that it is one that needed to be made at this time for the best interest of our team. We will now focus on moving forward and preparing for our game this week in Jacksonville."

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New York Giants notes: Falcons story should sound familiar

by Ed Valentine on Nov 17, 2009 11:20 AM EST in News Comment 31 comments

by Donna McWilliam - AP

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan.

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Reading about the 5-4 Atlanta Falcons these days feels an awful lot like reading about the 5-4 New York Giants.

Here is an example.

Matt Ryan is struggling. Michael Turner is hurting. Jason Elam can't seem to make a field goal.

Yep, the Falcons definitely have plenty of things to worry about as they head into a decisive stretch of the season.

Now, at a time when some doubts may creeping into the team psyche, the Falcons face three games over the next four weeks that will likely determine the course of this season.

Coming off a surprising trip to the playoffs last season, the Falcons were convinced this would be the year they finally broke the franchise's streak of never having consecutive winning seasons. A 3-1 start certainly bolstered those hopes, but two wins in the last five games have undoubtedly caused some to wonder if that ignominious streak will continue.

"It's not about just being average," receiver Roddy White said. "A lot of us are going out there saying, 'I've got one job, I'll just do that.'... We've all got to get out there and do more, be more productive."

The Falcons are being vague about the status of Turner, the star running back who has a high ankle sprain.

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