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I have been named Editor of GMENHQ.COM...As a condition of employment I cannot post Giants news on other sites...so go over to http://gmenhq.com and follow along there!

I also write for http://Aerysoffsides.com on different topics.

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This Weeks Preview Exclusively at GMENHQ.COM

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Here come the 'Fins

     The Miami Dolphins make their second trip to New Jersey in three weeks to play the New York Giants this Sunday at 1:00 Eastern. The Dolphins currently sit at 0-6, and rank near the bottom of most statistical categories.  They average 15 points a game and are a -7 in turnover ratio.  They  lost their starting QB Chad Henne a few weeks ago, and former Panther Matt Moore will take the snaps from center this week.  They have a decent running attack that they stick to relentlessly during the entirety of the game.  Daniel Thomas has rushed for 300 yards in 75 carries, and Reggie Bush has 230 yards on 60 attempts. They have allowed 22 sacks this season.

      On Defense they have a total of 14 sacks, with Cameron Wake having 5 of those.  Their starting secondary has a total of zero interceptions, with the team totaling only two.  They allow an average of almost 380 yards a game while yielding over 24 points per contest.

      The good news for the Giants this week is the health of their players.  Justin Tuck is back. Chris Snee is back.  The entire team is healing in time for the second half push.  While this is one of those games where the Giants might start slow, and look a little sluggish, I am hoping that the Seattle disaster a few weeks ago is fresh in their minds.  I hope they start quick, get the Dolphins down early, and cruise to an easy win before their schedule turns brutal.

Who are The Giants?

The Giants have a bye this week so we do a little thing coaches like to call Self Scout.  The Giants have used this as a learning tool since Tom Coughlin arrived.  It really helps to look at your own tendencies and see how you would game plan against yourself.

The Offense (B):  The Giants offense is starting to click at the right time.  Although the running game has not quite reached the level they will need it to, the overall offense is moving in the right direction.  When you see Eli feel comfortable with the likes of Victor Cruz and Jake Ballard you know the offense is working.  It is great to see guys step up and make plays.  Yes, teams will start to keep an eye on Ballard now, but that only opens up opportunities to get the ball to the backs, and to the other wideouts.  The O-Line continues to be the victim of injuries, but again this builds depth for the rest of the season.  All in all this offense which ranks 9th in points and 7th in passing is moving in the right direction.  The running game will prove to be the final piece of any success they enjoy this season.

The Defense(C):  It seems the defense has been struggling since day one.  They must rely on pressuring the QB and have to find a way to limit the running games of opponents.  Hopefully Justin Tuck will return in the next week or two and be able to stay healthy the remainder of the season.  This is a big piece of the puzzle.  The pressure that a healthy D-Line puts on the offense is key.  Not only in the passing game, but against the run.  Hopefully the second half sees the beginning of the career of “The Prince”.  Prince Amukamara will allow the safeties to return to their natural positions and should strengthen the defense overall.  Health is the key for this defense.

Special teams(B):  The most pleasant surprise here has been Steve Weatherford. Top ten in average and top 5 in return yardage against is a big reason the specials have been better.  Aaron Ross has stabilized the punt return position.  I still would look for Jerrel Jernigan to get a shot somewhere here this season.  He did dress for his first game last week.  The kickoff returns have been so-so, but no turnovers in either category is a goal achieved.  Lawrence Tynes has been stellar on kickoffs, but the confidence certainly isn’t there on the field goal front.

The Outlook:  30-16….That is the combined record of the teams the Giants will face after the Dolphins leave town.  Not only do the Giants face some traditionally good teams, they play them at all the wrong places and times.  IN New England, IN New Orleans on a Monday Night, IN San Francisco, IN Dallas on a Sunday Night, add to that home games against Green Bay and the cross town rival Jets.  This is a tough challenge.  Now, you never know what a team will look like when you finally play them, but it lays out as a very tough road.  Maybe the best thing that happens for the Giants this year is Philly, Dallas and Washington stay mediocre to poor, and the path gets a bit easier.  The Good news is this team can only get healthier.  Hopefully they will continue to improve on this front and have a complete team to compete with going forward,

A Positive Step

      If you read the post below, you know we called on the Giants to accomplish a few things in order to defeat the Buffalo Bills.  We asked that Ryan Fitzpatrick QB of the Bills visit the turf more than he had in the previous weeks.  He had been sacked 4 times in 5 weeks.  Welcome to Giants stadium Mr. Fitzpatrick.  Sacked three official times, and two other times he scrambled for one yard gains.  Next we asked the Giants to keep Eli upright.  No sacks recorded, and really not much pressure at all.  Eli was superb in the first half and steady throughout.  21/32 for 292.....and no turnovers.  The biggest key to this game was going to be turnovers.  Buffalo was an amazing plus 11, with 12 interceptions.  The Giants not only held onto the ball themselves, but forced Buffalo into two huge interceptions.
     Now, the Giants did not play a perfect game by any means, but they did seem to take a few positive steps.  They still need to trust one another on defense, and get a healthy offensive line in place.  The bye week comes at a very good time.  They should get Tuck, Snee, and Jacobs back for the Miami game.  They may even see the likes of  backup center Adam Koets, WR Ramses Barden, and hopefully "The Prince" will make an appearance.  With the toughest schedule in the league to face after the Miami Scrimmage, it will be a good time to be completely healthy.

Preview of the second half and a little self scout on Friday.

Who Are The Bills??

     The Bills are a surprisingly good team this year.  With wins over Oakland, New England and Philly already, they travel to New York to face the Giants Sunday afternoon.  I say the Bills are surprising because some of their stats belie their record.  They are 30th in yards per game on DEFENSE.  They give up a little over 420 yards per game, however they have 12 interceptions to counteract that fact.  They are 29th in the league in rushing defense, while forcing 5 fumbles in the process. They are last in the league in sacks with a total of 4.  To say that this was a stout defense would be a lie, but they manage to create turnovers, and that’s how they have won some of these games.  With all of that yardage and the negative statistics on defense, they are in the middle of the pack allowing 24 points per game.  They do have some injuries to their defense this week.  Their nose tackle Kyle Williams most likely will be out of the line-up Sunday as will Steroid freak Shawn Merriman, no great loss there.  Merriman has been missing in action for them for a while now, even when he has been on the field.  It is a bad stat when your safeties lead your team in tackles, but when your D-Line has a total of 30 tackles and no sacks thru 5 games, someone has to be stepping into the hole.

On Offense the Bills rank third in points scored with almost 33.  They are 4th in rushing yards and 13th in passing.  They are led by Ivy League (HARVARD) QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, who seems to have found a system he can work within.  Head coach Chan Gailey has turned this part of the team around.  Fitzpatrick  now completes 66% of his passes.  He has 10 TD’s with 4 INT’s.  He has not fumbled the ball so far this year.  He is a possession Qb with the ability to throw the ball deep.  Again the stats say he averages 7 yards a throw, but he has only been sacked three times, and has thrown for a total of over 1200 yards.  Stevie Johnson and Fred Jackson are the stars of this offense.  The Bills know how to spread the ball around through the air, and can pound you on the ground.  This is a true west coast offense, one that can give the Giants fits if they are not careful.

Finally we face a team without a Special teams nightmare waiting to happen.  The Bills average 7 yards a return on punts with a long of 10, and 24 yards on kickoffs with a long of 25.  Hopefully the Giants can win a field position battle this week.

Giants need to avoid the turnovers this week, and turn both of the sack stats of Buffalo around.   The Giants should be able to keep Eli upright against a team with a total of 4 sacks, and hopefully can have Ryan Fitzpatrick visit the Meadowlands turf more times this game than he has all year…it would go as a big plus towards winning this game.

Giants in Trouble Now.......

     This is not usually a title you see from me...I am Mr. Positive.  I know it's a long season, but something disturbing occurred to me the other day.  When the Giants started the season, and lost to Washington on the road, we figured those things happen, they had lost their middle linebacker a few days earlier, and were still in disarray.  Then they beat a Ram team that had a very good defense and a top quarterback, then on to Philadelphia to play the top rated Eagles.  They defeated the Eagles and erased some demons.  They then traveled across the country and beat an improving Arizona team with top notch talent that had lost their two previous games by a total of 4 points.  Now here's the problem.  The Rams, Eagles, and Cardinals have not won a game since!  The Giants have beaten three teams with a total of two wins.  The Eagles which was thought to be their signature win for this young season can't beat anybody.
      If the Giants manage to beat Buffalo and Miami they will be 5-2.  Not a terrible start. But looming ahead are the likes of: Green Bay, New England, New Orleans, and of course two against the Cowboys, and another match-up with Washington.  If they get things straightened out and play well....can they get to 10?  Beating the Eagles, Cowboys, and San Francisco now only gets you to 8.  Can they beat the Cowboys twice?  Will the Jets be done by Christmas? Starting to look at Wild card spots this early can get depressing, and confusing.  I hope this team gets it's act together quickly.

Preview of The Bills on Friday

Giants Seahawks Preview

     The New York Giants welcome in the Seattle Seahawks this Sunday at 1:00 Eastern.  This amounts to a morning game for the visitors from the great Northwest.  I have read that this is a trap game, or an opponent the Giants may overlook.  That might be true in other cities, but that doesn’t happen here very often.  The Giants and their coaching staff always find the strengths of the team they are playing, and make sure the team is prepared.  This is a key difference between Tom Coughlin’s philosophy and other coaches     (especially the other guy in town).  He never says a bad word about a team he is going to face.  He may have a few choice words after the contest, in private, and to his players, but never in the week leading into a game.  Pointing out your superiority over another team just makes the players more vulnerable to a let down, a feeling of not needing to prepare.  I like it our way better!

The Seahawks Offense:  Led by old friend QB Tarvaris Jackson, formerly of the Minnesota Vikings, and RB Marshawn Lynch.  Saying the offense hasn’t hit it’s stride yet would be an understatement.  They currently rank at or near the bottom in every offensive category, and this week they may be without a big weapon in Mike Williams.  Williams suffered a concussion last week and hasn’t practiced as of this writing.  Also not practicing were CB Marcus Trufant, and LG Robert Gallery.  The ‘Hawks start two rookies on the right side of their line, and now with Gallery out, it becomes a very young line, and one that has a few people out of position.  The job of the Giants will be to fix their run defense this week.  Marshawn Lynch is a very capable, strong runner with some speed.  He will test the Giants defense this week.  While Tarvaris certainly has the arm to throw it down the field, and Sidney Rice has the talent to get open, the Giants will have the luxury of not having to cover Mike Williams.  They should be able to do as they have done the past few weeks and keep the receivers in front of them.  Not giving up big plays to this team will be the key.  They should be incapable of sustaining long drives if the run defense does a decent job, and then exploit the young O-Line on passing downs.

The Seahawks Defense: The ‘Hawks play a 4-3 defense with an undersized linebacking core.  The team has only recorded 5 sacks this season, and has given up an average of 5.1 yards per play.  If they are indeed without their CB Marcus Trufant, it could be a long day for the ‘Hawks defense if Eli Manning remains hot.  The Giants will do their usual plan of attack in using the run to bring down the safeties, and then exploit them with play action passes down the field.  The Seahawks are a -4 in turnover ratio.

Special Teams:  Usually I don’t put a section on Special Temas, but this week it is relevant.  Former Jet Leon Washington returns to the Meadowlands as an explosive and very intelligent return man.  He also is used on third downs and even in some wild cat formations.  Leon is about the only thing that could wreck the game plan for the Giants this week.  Look for the Giants to force the ball deep on kickoffs, and to completely neutralize him on punt returns.

 The Seahawks are basically akin to a bad basketball team.  They can play with the bad teams in their own building, even lose by a point or two against a better opponent.  Send them on the road and they have no shot. The Giants take care of business in this first of three straight at home.

Giants Run Down Cardinals

     The Giants beat the Cardinals Sunday with a fantastic 4th quarter comeback.  Eli Manning was again efficient in the second half, and superb in the 4th quarter.  Eli is 32-40 for 415 yards, 4TD’s and no INT’s in the second half of games in the past three weeks.  That is just an amazing performance.  However, I believe that this game was actually won in the first half.  The defense that gave up some second half points, and some big chunks of yardage against the run, was superb in the first half.  The Cardinals first three drives were as follows:

1.  After an Ahmad Bradshaw fumble, the Cardinals started in the Red Zone (the Giants 16), and got three points.

2. After forcing the Giants to punt, Arizona got the ball at their own 48, and turned the ball over in the Red Zone( Giants 17).

3. 15 plays 80 yards 9 minutes of possession, and got three points.

The first half defense by the Giants, and their uncanny knack of denying points from point blank range, put the team in position to win the game in the end.

Last week I mentioned how statistically equal these two teams were.  Well yesterday did nothing to change that.  Here are some stats:

Total Plays: Giants 65  Cardinals 70

Total Yards: Giants 360 Cardinals 368

Turnovers: Two each

First Downs: Giants 24  Cardinals 22

The Cardinals had lost two games by a total of 4 points…now it’s three by 8 points.

Not much is different about these teams except the Giants have shown the ability to finish games this year, something the Cardinals still need to perfect.

Giants Vs. Cardinals Preview

     The Giants (2-1) face the Arizona Cardinals(1-2) Sunday afternoon at 4:00 Eastern time on Fox. The announcers will be Kenny Albert, Moose Johnston, and Tony Siragusa once again. Actually I don’t mind having the same crew back to back, as they might actually remember how the Giants played last week, and have some useful insight. We can only hope. This match-up may sound one sided, but the reality is, you can’t find a more statistically even game on the schedule. Despite their 1-2 record, the Arizona Cardinals will be a very tough opponent. They have lost to Washington and Seattle in the past two weeks, but only by a total of 4 points. Returning home, they will need to make a statement, where even in the weak NFC West, falling to 1-3 is not a good thing to do. After the Giants, they face the 0-3 Minnesota Vikings before their early bye. You know they would love to hit the break with a winning record.

On Offense: The Cardinals have struggled so far to gel as an offense. New Qb Kevin Kolb, whom the team acquired from Philadelphia in the off-season, has struggled in his decision making. He has not yet found a chemistry with his teammates. He has thrown for 5 TD’s while also throwing 3 picks, and fumbling once. He has also been sacked 8 times in this young season. Of course the Cardinals have All-World WR Larry Fitzgerald on their team, and he can be instant offense for any QB. Fitzgerald is capapble of making any catch against any number of defenders. We can only hope this isn’t the week Kolb and Fitzgerald find the same page. Also back in the mix for the Cardinals is running back Beanie Wells. Wells was out last week, but says he’s ready to go for the game on Sunday. Wells has 32 carries for 183 yards in 2 games, a great average, but if he only carries the ball 15 times, the Giants will have done their job. The Cardinals are a veteran team that have not learned how to work together.

On Defense: The Cardinals play a 3-4 defense. They are very strong up front and have an active Line backing corps. They are particularly strong on the left side with Darnell Dockett, Joey Porter, and rookie CB Patrick Peterson. Once again they are a veteran group, except at the two corner spots. Second year man A.J. Jefferson joins the rookie Peterson in the defensive backfield, however they are backed up by 18 years combined experience at the Safety spot in Adrian Wilson and Kerry Rhodes. Look for Rhodes to blitz off the corner on third downs. The Giants must establish some dominance in the running game to neutralize the safeties. The more the Giants can run, the better chance they will have to throw it over the top of the defense for some big plays.

As I stated earlier these two teams are statistically similar. Let’s take a look:

Offensively the Giants rank 10th in the NFC, the Cardinals 8th. Yards per play, and total yards are almost identical. The Giants hold the edge in points per game and also in the all important turnover category. The Giants are +4, while the Cardinals are -1. On Defense the Giants currently rank 8th, while the Cardinals are at 14. However yards per play and points scored are virtually identical.

This contest will be all about turnovers, and pressuring a Qb in Kevin Kolb that hasn’t quite grasped his new system. Kolb will throw some prayers against pressure, the Giants have to hope Larry Fitzgerald doesn’t answer those prayers. Controlling the running game and forcing Kolb to look across at JPP, Tuck, Canty, Osi, Kiwi, and Michael Boley all day on third and long should prove a successful formula for the Giants. If this team were coached by anyone other than Tom Coughlin I would warn against the long travel, and a let down after last weeks big win. I don’t feel these are concerns. Giants should prevail, but this game is closer than most people think.

An Unexpected Victory?

Last week I published an article on the keys to beating the Eagles.  Unlike most ESPN announcers, I like to go back and see if what I said held true.
On Offense:  The Giants, for the second week in a row, face a team that plays poorly against the run.  In what is admittedly a small sample, the Eagles give up an average of 5.3 yards per rush. The Giants rushed for an average of 4.8   Unlike the Rams, the Eagles are extremely weak at the Linebacker position.  To back-up this claim, the Eagles have re-aligned their much maligned Linebacking corps.  The Eagles drafted Casey Matthews purely on name recognition alone.  He is not an NFL Middle Linebacker.  He has now been moved to the outside and is replaced by second year man Jamar Chaney.  Andy Reid is saying the change is being made for the matchup against the Giants, in other words he’s searching for an answer to a huge defensive problem.The Linebackers made a total  of  8 tackles Sunday. The Eagles play a scheme with their front four, as we all heard Sunday night ,called The Wide-Nine.  Their Rush ends are split wide, about 4 and a half yards away from their interior tackles.  Their sole job is to rush upfield and turn everything back to the inside.  The linebackers are supposed to fill the holes, and make the plays in the gaps….they haven’t.  The Giants will need to find some blocking schemes to exploit this alignment that the Eagles employ on almost every down.  Getting a back one on one against a linebacker on the Eagles is a good thing, Bradshaw and Jacobs will need to carry the load this week. Bradshaw and Jacobs accounted for 200 yards of total offense.  The Giants will run, run, run, setting up the over the top passes as they did last week when the secondary drops down to help. The Eagle Linebackers lived up to their reputation getting beat by Jacobs on his TD catch, and getting pinned inside by Tight Ends and WR’s on many running plays.  The Secondary looked weak and confused.  On Victor Cruz’s fabulous TD run, if you watch the play over you will notice Hakeem Nicks is also wide open streaking down the middle of the field.
On Defense:  The Giants cannot cover all the speed the Eagles can employ in their offense.  The pressure on Michael Vick must be relentless. As we all know the pressure was relentless.  The Giants hounded Vick until he could take no more. Keeping Vick in the pocket, or forcing him to his right will be a key element in this game.  The Eagles of course have also learned that Vick cannot throw when running right, so look for their line to move the pocket left from the snap.  The Eagles also employ lots of screens, swing passes, and mis-direction runs.  When trying to put maximum pressure on a Qb, it is very difficult to fill all the lanes on the back side.  The Giants must remain disciplined in their attack, send pressure from the secondary, and do their best to keep the receivers in front of them. The Giants allowed only TWO plays over 20 yards.  They did a magnificent job of dropping in coverage and keeping the plays in front of them.  A few long drives by the Giants offense would go a long way in making the defense a success. No long drives to speak of, but more importantly drives ending in points.
I spoke of the fact that this game was going to be about turnovers and penalties…..The Giants had zero turnovers, while forcing three interceptions, and Three fumbles.  Penalties were Giants 4-21 and the Eagles 7-36, with The Eagles making the key mistake of jumping offsides on the field goal attempt.
Finishing and Execution are the keys to a successful season…..This was a great example for the team to use for motivation moving forwar

THE KEYS TO VICTORY

The Giants play the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday in Philadelphia at 1:00 Eastern time on Fox.  The Giants (1-1) are an injured team as they enter this contest, losing WR Domenik Hixon, and probably WR Mario Manningham.  The New Yorkers have re-signed Michael Clayton to fill these voids, and also will get Travis Beckum back into the line-up.

On Offense:  The Giants, for the second week in a row, face a team that plays poorly against the run.  In what is admittedly a small sample, the Eagles give up an average of 5.3 yards per rush.  Unlike the Rams, the Eagles are extremely weak at the Linebacker position.  To back-up this claim, the Eagles have re-aligned their much maligned Linebacking corps.  The Eagles drafted Casey Matthews purely on name recognition alone.  He is not an NFL Middle Linebacker.  He has now been moved to the outside and is replaced by second year man Jamar Chaney.  Andy Reid is saying the change is being made for the matchup against the Giants, in other words he’s searching for an answer to a huge defensive problem.  The Eagles play a scheme with their front four, as we all heard Sunday night ,called The Wide-Nine.  Their Rush ends are split wide, about 4 and a half yards away from their interior tackles.  Their sole job is to rush upfield and turn everything back to the inside.  The linebackers are supposed to fill the holes, and make the plays in the gaps….they haven’t.  The Giants will need to find some blocking schemes to exploit this alignment that the Eagles employ on almost every down.  Getting a back one on one against a linebacker on the Eagles is a good thing, Bradshaw and Jacobs will need to carry the load this week.  The Giants will run, run, run, setting up the over the top passes as they did last week when the secondary drops down to help.

On Defense:  The Giants cannot cover all the speed the Eagles can employ in their offense.  The pressure on Michael Vick must be relentless.  Keeping Vick in the pocket, or forcing him to his right will be a key element in this game.  The Eagles of course have also learned that Vick cannot throw when running right, so look for their line to move the pocket left from the snap.  The Eagles also employ lots of screens, swing passes, and mis-direction runs.  When trying to put maximum pressure on a Qb, it is very difficult to fill all the lanes on the back side.  The Giants must remain disciplined in their attack, send pressure from the secondary, and do their best to keep the receivers in front of them.  A few long drives by the Giants offense would go a long way in making the defense a success.

The key to this game should come down to turnovers and penalties.  As an official, I can tell you that penalties stop more drives than anything else.  Penalties on Special Teams are especially tough.  The Giants need to play smart and avoid unnecessary penalties.  The other key is winning the turnover battle.  Michael Vick is prone to fumbling.  He fumbles when sacked, and can be stripped when he runs.  The Giants defense must win the turnover battle this Sunday for any chance of success in this division match-up.

This is an early tough test for the G-Men on the road within the division….One thing I look for is for the Giants to play a full 4 quarter battle.  The Falcons kept fighting last week, stuck to their plan, and came back from 14 points down to win.  FINISHING is the KEY.

The First Win

     While the Giants failed to impress many in this weeks win over the St. Louis Rams, it was certainly a step in the right direction and showed some progress in key areas.

The Offense:  The struggle continues for Eli Manning and the offense.  Some key assignments were missed last night, a couple of bad throws, a few drops and bobbles, and a few bad penalties to boot.  The offense is going to be a work in progress all year as the communication continues to develop between the line, Eli, the backs, and receivers.  Remembering that while the Rams are certainly not a winning organization, this is a very good defense, with very good linebackers, and Steve Spagnuolo playing the part of Defensive Coordinator.  You cannot discount the ability of the Rams coach to scheme a defense, especially against a team he knows well, as a factor in last nights performance.  The Offense struggled for sure, but with the limited practice time they have had with healthy bodies.....it took a step forward.  Having the one nice scoring drive before halftime, and one immediately following was a good sign.

The Defense:  The pressure was certainly applied to Sam Bradford at times last night.  Six sacks certainly helped win this game last night.  While some defensive players have shown a lack of concentration, Michael Boley took advantage of a lapse of judgement by the Rams and returned a backwards pass (fumble) for a touchdown, a key to this game.  The pass defense struggled in man coverage in the first half, mainly due to the no huddle offense employed by the Rams.  Changes were not able to be made, and the Giants struggled to make the adjustments needed with the personnel they had on the field.  In the second half the Giants realized the rotation they usually employ at key spots was going to be impossible, so they went with more zone coverages.  The Giants did stop the run completely, and that is always job one in New York.  Once again the communication between first year linebackers, and new starters in the secondary was a problem, but it certainly settled down when the Rams reached the red zone, and the Giants were able to re-group.  I give the Rams a lot of credit for identifying the communication problems the Giants had last week and trying to exploit them by going no-huddle for most of the first half.

What this team needs to do now is work on execution.  Missed blocks, missed reads, dropped balls, and penalties all stop drives.  This is why this season is so different.  With the Union imposed reduced practice time, reduced meeting time,  also coupled with the lockout and key injuries late in training camp, this team needs time to learn communication and each other.  They will hopefully start to get players back, not lose anymore key players to injury, and continue to not turn the ball over.

Next week poses a big test......but it might be just what the Giants need.  They have been living with a ghost for months now, and they need to face the ghost to see where they stand.  FINISH will be the word around the Giants this week.  Three phases, communicate, execute, and FINISH

Who are The Rams

     On Monday night the Giants face off against a team they don’t play often, but one that has many familiar names.  Head Coach, and former Giants Defensive Coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo  started the re-building process in 2009, and it has been on a fast track ever since.  Building both through the draft and free agency his team is starting to grow into an NFL success story.  Let’s take a look at some of their players.

Offense:  Coach “Spags”  was fortunate enough to inherit a top ranked running back in Stephen Jackson.  Jackson, as many of you know, is a true stud at running back.  He recently became the only player in team history to rush for 1,000 yards in 5 consecutive seasons. He is banged up this week, and is backed up on the depth chart by the newly acquired  Cadillac Williams.  At Quarterback the Rams have Sam Bradford, the number one overall pick in the 2010 draft.  Bradford stepped right into the role of starting QB and impressed many in his first year in the NFL.  He is still a work in progress, but it is clear he has all the tools to be a very good if not great NFL QB.  The Offensive line is young on the outside.  They have a rookie Left Tackle in Rodger Saffold, and a second year right tackle in Jason Smith, Smith might be held out this week with an injury.  The interior of their line was all acquired through free agency and has an average of 7 years experience anchored by Right Guard Harvey Dahl.  Where the Rams fall short on offense is in their receiving corps.  What was once the strength of the Rams of the 1990′s has now fallen on hard times.  Danny Amendola is out with a dis-located elbow and that leaves Mike Sims-Walker and Greg Salas as the starters along with Tight End Billy Bajema. Sims-Walker was signed this year after some average years in Jacksonville.  He had one catch last week for 5 yards.  The offense is obviously based off the running game, but with Jackson listed as doubtful, it could be a long night for the Rams offense.

The Defense:  This obviously is “Spags”s specialty and is littered with familiar names, high draft picks, and former Giants.  Up front they have Chris Long, a first round draft pick, Fred Robbins, a former Giant, Justin Bannan, and James Hall each with 10 years NFL experience.  Behind them is a fabulous group of Linebackers that would make any New York fan jealous.  Second year linebacker out of Ohio State, James Laurinaitis is in the middle of two free agents Brady Poppinga formerly of Green Bay, and Ben Leber, formally of the Minnesota Vikings.  Once again however, the fall off to the secondary is noticeable.  With injuries to this unit they are left with a very young group at corner, and some castoffs at Safety.  Justin King and Bradley Fletcher are the young corners with a combined total of 5 years experience, and Craig Dahl and Quintin Mikell are the starting safeties backed up by former Giant James Butler.

     The transformation of the St. Louis Rams is well underway and “Spags” is building a team and an organization at the same time.  He needed to change the culture in St. Louis and begin a new era.  He certainly seems like the right person for the job.  After finishing at 7-9 last year and having a chance to make the playoffs in the weak  NFC West Division,  The Rams will continue to build through free agency and the draft. They have a franchise Qb, and what seems like a good mix of veterans and young players.  With no one player having more than 10 years experience, they are set up for good things in the future.

Season Preview '11

     The Giants have a very tough task this year.  They may have the toughest season ending schedule in memory.  They will face Tom Brady, Mike Vick, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, and Tony Romo in the last 9 weeks of the season.
      This team is a mystery to me now.  They were very strong on defense and would have been an old fashioned Giants machine if it had not been for some devastating injuries.  This would have been a team based on sacks, turnovers, and low scoring games.  Now, they have some very young, but highly talented rookies stepping into starting roles from day one.  Can they develop and heal quick enough for the second half?  can they win enough games early to allow for a .500 second half?  If they can win 5 or 6 before November comes that will make the task that much simpler.  Of course speaking of how other teams will perform along the way is not a perfect science.  Injuries, age, and hot and cold streaks happen to all teams.  If New Orleans for example plays the run as poorly as it did Thursday against Green Bay, then that plays into the Giants hands.  There are so many factors, many of them surrounding the injury front, that it is hard to put a finger on how this team will perform.
      I believe the defense will be good, if not great, and that the young players will have an overall positive impact.  I think both Jacobs and Bradshaw are poised for big big years.  I think Devin Thomas will make big contributions.  The key to this team if their health improves and no other injuries occur?  What is always is TURNOVERS.  Turnovers and penalties will derail this team in a heartbeat.  They will have zero chance of doing anything if they turn the ball over.  I believe this is the key stat line for this team all year long.
     I wish I had better news, but this team needs a quick start, and with all the uncertainty of the young players, that may be a tougher task than the last 9 games of the season.

For what to look for in todays game log into: http://gmenhq.com

Enjoy the year, and please pray for all those affected by the tragedies of 9/11/01

Hope you like the new look!

FINAL ROSTER

The Giants cut down their roster to the required 53 players on Saturday evening.  I want to congratulate all who made it, and all who tried their best.  This of course is a fluid roster depending on injuries and performance, and of course not everyone gets to play on Sundays.   But this is where we stand at the moment and I think it teaches a few lessons.

The Giants have struggled on Special Teams the past few years.  Tom Coughlin and Jerry Reese made a strong effort this year to handle that problem head on.  In an interview with Jon Gruden before the Bears pre-season game, Coach Coughlin stated he wanted to use more linebackers on Special Teams.  This little tid-bit of information passed on during the telecast may have gone un-noticed, but it bode well for the young players wanting to make this team.  The coverage teams in past years have shown a lack of team speed.  We lost players like David Tyree and Domenik Hixon to injury and retirement.  Special teams coverage guys need to be very athletic, speedy, and big enough to fight off blocks and make tackles.  Big receivers such as Hixon are naturals.  However, big linemen usually are not.  The answer in today’s game are Linebackers and Safeties.  Most of them are fast enough to get down the field, strong enough to fight through blocks, and certainly they should know how to tackle.  The opportunity was there for some young players, and they took it.  Jacquian Williams, Spencer Paysinger, Tyler Sash, Greg Jones, and of course fan favorite Mark Herzlich all walked into a great situation and made the most of it to this point.  These are the names along with Zak DeOssie, Da’rel Scott, and Devin Thomas that you will hear all year long when it comes to Special Teams play.  The Giants had a plan to get faster and more athletic and this roster shows that.  There has been an out cry from fans for the past years about the lack of Linebacker talent on this team, well that has been addressed through the draft for this year and for years to come.  I personally believe that Mark Herzlich will be a long time success in the NFL.  Greg Jones could be another London Fletcher, a guy that everyone says is too small, but does nothing but make plays, and Jacquian Williams may be the fastest and quickest Linebacker we have had since the Glory Days of Banks and Taylor in New York.  This is the first step in revamping the Special Teams, and along with Steve Weatherford I think it will be  successful one.  The one thing that will make this make-over a total success?  Jerrel Jernigan will settle down, learn the fair catch signal, and understand that possession is the key to punt returning.  This is not a video game anymore, this is the NFL.

Since the original posting of this article Middle Linebacker Jon Goff has been lost for the season.  He will be replaced from the current roster by Greg Jones and Mark Herzlich, however a veteran free agent might also be signed.  As most of you know I believe the philosophy that the Linebackers are only as good as the Defensive Line allows them to be, and ours is the best in the business.  We will see how this shakes out.  Season preview this Friday!

The CBA, Lockout, and the Players Lawsuit

     While I have tried to avoid this subject, I suddenly feel the need to address some of the silliness, and the horrible public relations tactics being used, especially on the side of the players.  This is strictly my opinion and it will soon be obvious which side I favor in this dispute.

     The Lockout:  The players repeatedly cry that the owners have locked them out, that they aren't on strike, and all they really want is to play football for their fans.  Well, as I recall football doesn't start till training camp in August, and for some players, they don't even show up then.  The lockout is a direct result of the NFLPA de-certifying and the players filing a Federal Lawsuit against the owners.  A lockout would not have occurred if negotiating had continued, and the NFLPA had stayed intact.  So, I always pose the question..If you had your representative negotiating with your boss, and then on Friday afternoon you decided to fire your representative, and file a Federal Lawsuit against your boss and the company, would you expect to be let in the building Monday morning?  Would you expect to have your Health Insurance continued?  Would you expect to be invited to the office party?  Only George Costanza  could confuse this issue this badly.

     The Players Lawsuit:  Many people I have found don't know what the players are actually seeking in their lawsuit.  Because the players representative DeMaurice Smith continues to cloud the issue.  The actual Brady v. NFL lawsuit is not to lift the lockout and let "the players play".  Mr Smith, who is a very bright man, and a former Federal prosecutor, will continue to cloud the waters with rhetoric because that's his job.  But what the anti-trust lawsuit against the NFL threatens is how the game is run into the future. If all this were to play out in court, and the players were to win every round, the game of football would change forever as did the game of baseball.  The Draft could be declared illegal for restraint of trade.  The salary cap could disappear for good.  This would turn football into a league of haves and have nots.

     While I love football as much as anyone, and I would hate to miss a day of my favorite sport, the latest ruling by the court in St. Louis keeping the lockout in place may have been the best thing that happens in the history of football.  The Owners needed to win one round "in court" to stop the freight train of the player's legal machine.  This should force the players back to the bargaining table, the NFLPA to be declared certified, and therefore DeMaurice Smith and his team can do what they should be doing, finding a compromise that works for both sides.  Right now plan "A" of the players is going up in flames, and they will need to regroup quickly.

      I understand each side has its moves and counter moves to strengthen their bargaining position, but they should remain talking while these play out.  The players and owners both run a risk of one side getting a huge lead in the courts or in public opinion and losing bargaining power without ever making or reviewing an offer.  I have stated since day one, after talking to some ex-players, that DeMaurice Smith was the wrong choice for the players for a few reasons.  One is that he really has nothing at stake. He can build his reputation as the guy who took down the mighty NFL..a pretty nice line on your resume as an attorney..or he can tout himself as the guy who saved football for the fans and his players.  Their is no downside.  Also I believe that the owners have had to learn to trust a new person in the room in DeMaurice.  To learn his tactics, to understand the nuances with which he speaks.  I have always thought that a former player like Harry Carson would have been a better choice.  The Hall of Famer would have instant respect and credibility in the room of owners, especially John Mara who would have vouched for his character from day one.  Harry was always a leader of players on and off the field.  He also has been active in all this labor unrest since the 70's.  He respects the game, knows what it's like to be an active and retired player, and would have kept the rhetoric at a level of honor and respect.  I believe this was a huge missed opportunity by the active players, not embracing one of their own, honoring their past.  They now have the retired players working on their own, joining the discussions, suing on their own behalf thus dividing their strength.

This will all get settled eventually...The NFL is going anywhere...hopefully a compromise can be reached before August 1st so we don't have to miss a minute of the fantastic action on the field, which is all we care about as fans.  Neither side is really thinking of us, but a healthy ownership, with good organizations and a level playing field will make for a better product in the future.
    

SCHEDULE RELEASED

     The 2011 New York Football Giants schedule was released yesterday and it promises more of the same for Giants fans.  A predicted fast start, a balanced home and away schedule, and then the opportunity to make or break their season in the last 7 weeks.  Knowing Tom Coughlin it is the exact challenge he wants for his players. He and the coaching staff are going to concentrate on one message this year...FINISHING....finishing the 4th quarter and finishing the season.

     It is tough for fans to have such an off balanced schedule for one simple reason.  When your team opens up 6-1, you have great expectations of a fabulous season, when realistically you can look for them to finish either 4-5, or 5-4 and still make the playoffs or win the division.  Of course all the "experts" will point to their downward spiral and lack of finishing ability heading into the post season, but that's why you intelligent fans read blogs like this, instead of listening to Joe Buck and the other talking heads.

     The bye week comes in week 7, and there are 4 prime time games scheduled.  The Giants will host a Monday night game for the first time in years as their home opener against the St. Louis Rams.  They also have a strange stretch of consecutive home games throughout the month of October.  Games on Christmas Eve and New Years Day will surely cause some problems with the family, but it's the Giants, and most of our families are united behind them and will understand.

     The draft and free agency are still to come, so to access any team on the schedule is truly difficult.  Miami and Arizona are looking for QB's for instance, and we know that the Redskins will probably be without Donovan McNabb come the opener on September 11th.

Look for the same fight to 10 or 11 wins....and look for the theme of FINISHING to be prominent around Giants camp all year.

UNFORTUNATE SERIES OF EVENTS

    For those of you who have read all year...first of all THANKS, and also take some time to look back and see how we predicted the year as it went along.  We stated earlier that the Giants would need to win on the road this year to be successful (5-3 on road and home).  We also stated they would finish 10-6 and that one team this year might miss the playoffs with 10 wins.  We thought their would be changes at fullback and on the O-Line, and that the defense would again become dominant.  I think we did pretty good this year describing the action and predicting what the organization would do.

     Tom Coughlin is back thankfully, and I wouldn't look for any major coaching changes unless someone takes a job somewhere else and needs to be replaced.  Tom Quinn the special teams coach would really be the only person in jeopardy, but he is young and will probably get a chance to improve his unit.

      The needs of this team are obvious and not all that many.  A lot will depend on how guys return from injury.  Will Steve Smith be 100% healthy? Does Kiwi come back? Will Rich Seubert be able to overcome his knee injury?  Is Shawn Andrews' back problem manageable?  All these questions need to be answered before any moves would be made.  Also with the Collective Bargaining Agreement still not settled, all free agency signings will be put on hold.  The Giants won't address their own free agents or others before an agreement is in place.  Also we have the 19th pick in the draft, but that might also be delayed until some understanding is in place as to a rookie salary cap, or at least max pay per draft slot.

     This team needs: More Linebackers, better safety play, but the pieces seem to be on the team, and younger offensive linemen.  A guy like Mitch Petrus will get every opportunity to win a job next year, along with the continued development of Adam Koets, Wil Beatty and Kevin Boothe.  Free agency might be the way to go for the linebacker position (Chad Greenway, Ben Lieber), but time will tell and the timetable might be altered this year.

All in all a decent year...Nice new stadium that will continue to improve, continuity in the coaching staff, and a winning record.  The defense showed why it is considered one of the best, and the offense showed that if it can hold on to the ball, it can be very productive.

Updates as things progress.........Have a good off-season, and again thanks for reading!