The New York Giants held a 90-minute workout Saturday at UAlbany as training camp rolled along. Head coach Tom Coughlin cut the workout short by about a half-hour, he said because the Giants were short a couple of linebackers. Today was also Family Day for players, and with wives, children and parents in attendance that may also have contributed to the shortened workout.
Here is your Day 8 practice report.
Injury Report
Will Beatty did not work again, although the starting left tackle says his back is fine. Middle linebacker Chase Blackburn did not practice after taking a hit in the thigh on Saturday. Others not practicing included Jake Muasau, James Brewer, Michael Boley and Jacquian Williams.
Players Who Impressed
- I am going to lead this by mentioning placekicker Lawrence Tynes. He went 5-for-5 on field goals today despite breezy conditions. Tynes has missed one kick, a 46-yard try, the entire camp.
- Seems like we talk about these two guys every day, but safety Will Hill had another good day. Wide receiver Ramses Barden also had a nice day.
Players Who Struggled
- Now don't start ringing the alarm bells because it isn't a big deal, but Eli Manning seemed a little off target today. He was picked off by Kenny Phillips trying to hit Martellus Bennett on a sideline route, a ball he underthrew. Corey Webster also nearly picked off Eli when he stepped in front of a crossing route for Jerrel Jernigan.
Practice Highlights
- The ball got rolling when a fan screamed at Coughlin during team stretching. The man got a huge ovation by yelling "Let's get another one, coach. Got a lot of hungry fans up here."
- The crowd also got a rise out of a fake field goal, with Steve Weatherford rising up and hitting David Diehl -- yes, David Diehl -- for a touchdown. Who knew Diehl could play tight end?
- The Giants have been using some two-back sets with combinations like Ahmad Bradshaw and D.J. Ware or Joe Martinek and either Andre Brown or Da'Rel Scott. Sunday they ran some mis-direction shovel pass type stuff out of those sets.
- There has also been a heavy emphasis on the screen pass the last couple of days. We have seen a variety of running back screens, some throw-back tight end screens and a bubble screen or two.
Now for your individual highlights.
- Adrien Robinson worked his way in between cornerback Michael Coe and safety Stevie Brown, and nearly made a spectacular leaping catch on a high throw from David Carr.
- Speaking of Brown, he blanketed tight end Larry Donnell on an out route during 11-on-11 drills, forcing an incompletion.
- On one of those aforementioned tight end screens, this one to Martellus Bennett, guard Kevin Boothe got out front and completely ran over safety Tyler Sash. That wasn't supposed to happen with the Giants in just shoulder pads Sunday.
- Ryan Perrilloux was picked off by Chris Horton when he foolishly tried to hit Dan DePalma on a slant. Both Horton, a safety, and cornerback Brandon Bing, jumped the route. The two collided with a loud crack of pads, but Horton got the ball and both players came up uninjured.
- David Douglas made his first real boo-boo of camp, dropping a perfect pass from Perrilloux 20 yards downfield in front of Bruce Johnson.
- Douglas came back later to score a touchdown on a long ball from Perrilloux. He juked cornerback Janzen Jackson so badly that Jackson got twisted up and fell down.
- During 7-on-7 drills Barden shook off tight coverage from Prince Amukamara to haul in a 20-yard pass across the middle. Later during the same drill Barden beat Jo Jo Nicolas to the ourside, but Perrilloux was off target.
- Victor Cruz got Amukamara all turned around on one play and caught a deep ball from Manning down the left side..
- Dan DePalma caught a long ball over Bing. Joe Martinek made it possible for Perrilloux to get the pass away, neatly picking up a blitzing Greg Jones.
Notes
The Giants are off Sunday and will return to practice at UAlbany on Monday.