Giants News

[kurtsimonw]

There is only one non-Giants player item in the hall of fame, but it might make fans as giddy as the photo of David Tyree’s catch against his helmet in Arizona: Buffalo kicker Scott Norwood’s jersey from Super Bowl XXV.

The Giants, who will unveil a Ring of Honor at the stadium on Oct. 3 during a night game against the Chicago Bears, got permission from the N.F.L. to have Tiffany & Company make duplicates of their three Lombardi Trophies. The team had busts made by the same artist who makes the ones for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Both from here

Hopefully there will be a pre-game/half0time stream somewhere of the unveiling, that'd be cool.

30 players going on the Ring of Honour, 6 been confirmed so far:

Simms

Strahan

Barber

Gifford

Parcells

Gogolak

[B-dub]

i don't like that Barber is on the list. for a start, i don't think his body of work puts him in the same class as Simms, Taylor et. all and, just as importantly, he ended his career making a lot of dumb/unfair/self-serving remarks in the media ripping Coughlin and Eli, and continued to do so during the 2007 season (after he retired) as an "analyst" for NBC. and as the Giants were making their Super Bowl run, it was clear he didn't want the Giants to win it all, the year after he retired, and have Manning and Coughlin (the two guys who he basically said were crap) win the Super Bowl and get the glory. I always thought Tiki was a big phony, more concerned about his public image and his media career after football. wasn't surprised at all when it came out that he cheated on his now-ex-wife while she was 8 months pregnant with twins.

and another thing .. Barber was a big-time fumbler most of his career and only shook it off after Coughlin took over and taught him a new way to hold the ball. and still Barber ripped him in the media time and time again.

[kurtsimonw]

Yeah, I don't like Barber much at all and was a little surprised to see him on the list. But in saying that, he was an awesome player. Given that he only played 10 years and was little more than a backup for the first 3, to get over 10k in rushing and 15k in yards from scrimmage is quite incredible.

One defense I will give him regarding his ripping of Coughlin as that from I've heard and read, Coughling was basically a complete tosser until the year after Tiki left, so Tiki will have only known the dick Tom Coughlin and not the 'new Coughlin' that won over the player and won the Super Bowl.

His comments towards Eli was a joke though and he did always seem very self centered and would delfect the blame elsewhere.

[kkr]

Tiki Barber is a great player. As a person he is a fraud though and thats why he will be booed tomorrow.

[kurtsimonw]

That's more like it.

[kkr]

I just love the vibe of a Monday morning coming off a dominant win on SNF where our D played lights out. That was the most enjoyable 9 hour shift ive ever done!

If we the offense was clicking then we would have destroyed that team, but Gilbride.

So many positives, nice that we finally stopped playing soft and came out with a stellar defensive gameplan. Even we couldn't manage to beat ourselves three weeks running, although we tried with 3 turnovers!

[kkr]

[kurtsimonw]

That's quality.

[kurtsimonw]

Offense

#5 total

#9 passing

#11 rushing

#22 3rd down

#4 time of posession

#27 penalties

#29 turnovers

#6 yards per play

#8 points per game

Penalties, turnovers and 3rd downs are poor. Not sure what the problem is with the offensive playcalling, but I've never known a team get so many delay of game penalties as we do, it needs to stop.

#9 in passing and #11 in passing, yet having the #5 overall offense tells me that we are one of very few teams in the league that actually has a balanced offense.

Defense

#1 total

#1 passing

#10 rushing

#5 3rd down

#1 4th down

#23 penalties

#1 yards per per

#3 1st downs per game

#3 sacks

#12 interceptions

#3 forced fumbles

#6 fumbles recovered

#19 points per game

Points per game and rushing aren't great, but we're still improving and already have the best defense in the league. Penalties hurting us on both sides of the ball.

Balance is great overall. We can stop anything on defense, while we're doing well on both parts of the offense. If our ST decides to turn up at some point it'll help greatly.

Up next:

vs Detroit (Early Sunday)

@ Dallas (MNF)

BYE

Should beat Detroit without too much trouble to go 4-2. Dallas play Minnesota the same week so could very well be 1-4 by the time we play them. A win would make it 5-2/1-5 and pretty much put them out of the division race and most likely the playoff picture.

[kkr]

The defensive stats are very impressive considering the pathetic gameplan we ran vs the Colts and also the field position we have been defending, i.e. ST screwing us.

I think the biggest plus for me is the play of the DT's, they are beast against the run and pass. Who needs the two Williams in Minnesota, we have 2 CC's for you, Coefild and Canty! I haven't seen Giants DT's play the run this well in, well forever!

Antrel Rolle is a big addition also, teams just don't throw near him, ever! Here is the latest from a interview of his also:

Rolle when asked what he would think if he was an opposing offensive player watching #NYG D on film: "Honestly I'd be scared shitless."

[kurtsimonw]

That is quality.

[kkr]

Giants Special Teamers Look to ‘Hammer’ the Opposition

K Lawrence Tynes was doing some shopping one day at a Toys 'R Us for his twin sons when suddenly a shiny item caught his eye.

He stepped closer to inspect the item and knew right away that this item had a place in the Giants special teams meeting room.

Thus was born the concept of the ‘The Hammer,’ an award given after every regular season victory to the special teams player who made the biggest hit of the week, be it against a ball carrier, against the wedge, or to spring a return man for big yardage.

It’s actually a flimsy child’s wresting belt with loads of shiny parts that kids find so appealing. What Tynes did, though, was add put a picture of a hammer over the center and add a couple of NY Giants logo stickers to give it that Big Blue Touch. (View this photo.)

For as chintzy as that item is, to the men who compete for it and who win the honor of being its keeper, it's a priceless.

“You obviously always want those kind of big hits on special teams, and when we started having them, we were like, ‘Ok, we have to do something to honor the guys who make the hardest hits,’” recalled LB Chase Blackburn of how the concept of the Hammer came about.

The Hammer quickly became a hit with the special teams, so much so that Blackburn said he’s seen certain guys really crank up their intensity in an effort to be considered for the award.

“All last year and this year too, people fought for it because everyone wanted to be known as ‘the hammer’ and have it in their locker,” said Blackburn, himself a multiple award winner.

Last year, the selection committee consisted of Tynes and long snapper Zak DeOssie. This year, they’ve been joined by Blackburn, the special teams captain. If any of those three are nominated for the award, as was the case last week when Blackburn was nominated for a play he made against Chicago, then he doesn’t partake in the selection process.

Any special teams player is eligible, though usually guys like Tynes and P Matt Dodge are rarely considered for the award because as Tynes said, “If we are up for the award, then we’re really in trouble.”

The award is given only after a win (“It just isn’t right to be giving any awards if we lose,” said Blackburn.) The nomination process takes place when the special teams reconvene to watch film of their previous game’s performance.

Special teams coordinator Tom Quinn will show various film clips of the players’ performances, both good and bad, to use as a teaching tool. The good clips that draw the loudest cheers from the players are marked down on a sheet for consideration by the committee.

Once the committee has their list, the winner is usually pretty obvious, though if there is more than one possibility, they’ll go by which clips received the most boisterous reaction, or in some cases, hold an informal vote amongst their peers to reach a consensus.

Once a winner is declared, the previous Hammer winner will present the belt to the new champion in an informal ceremony. The new champion will then usually hoist the Hammer into the air to a thunderous round of applause from his teammates before taking his prized possession back to his locker stall where it goes on display until a new winner is crowned.

“It’s just awesome,” said DE Jason Pierre-Paul, who won the award after the Carolina game. “I don’t think there are the right words to describe it.”

Last week, it was LB Gerris Wilkinson, who made a bone-crushing hit on a first quarter kickoff return against Chicago, who won the honors. Wilkinson had some stiff competition for his award from teammates Madison Hedgecock, Dave Tollefson, and Blackburn. In the end, Tynes said that Wilkinson's hit was "pretty much a no-brainer."

As silly as the concept of grown men winning a toy belt might seem to some, LB Jonathan Goff, a two-time winner last year, said that the 'Hammer' has actually become a source of pride for the players on special teams, and something that the players look forward to competing for.

“I think it definitely helps with the bonding and getting guys excited to run down there on specials,” he said. “We’re all excited to go out there and when we make a tackle inside of the 20, that’s especially exciting not just for our special teams, but also for the entire team.”

Moreover, Goff said, it’s all about instilling pride in special teams. “It gets the guys excited because the winner gets the bragging rights for the week and a sense of pride in knowing that he did what he was supposed to do and he helped the team win.”

“It means a lot to me personally,” said Pierre-Paul. “It means you were the best special teams player that week as chosen by your teammates, and when your teammates see you as the best at what you do, it makes you feel very good about yourself and what you’re doing. So it’s a pretty good thing to have in the locker room.”

So far, the Hammer has primarily gone to a defensive player – Blackburn estimated that the linebackers who have played special teams are leading the pack – but at least one offensive player has had the honor of displaying the belt in his locker for a week.

That would be TE Travis Beckum, who last year won the award as a rookie, and who, to Blackburn’s knowledge, is the only offensive player to win it to date.

“It’s good,” Beckum said of receiving the award. “It means you’re going hard and your blowing someone up, and your teammates are acknowledging what you contributed to that week’s game. Getting any award is good, especially an award like that.”

What made the award extra special for Beckum is in knowing that he, as an offensive player, was able to match that reckless abandon that defensive players usually display.

“You have the hunters on defense and the hunted on offense, so I guess you can say that a defensive player is going to be more likely to win the award,” he said.

“But for me as an offensive player, it pushes me to be my best. I think every time someone goes out there, someone wants to make a big hit, and if everyone has that mentality, then I think the only people who can stop us are us. So I think it’s a great motivational tool for everyone to go lights out and go as hard as they can.”

'The Hammer' has become such a hit in the Giants locker room that there is talk of the players, or more specifically Pierre-Paul, the team’s first round draft pick, investing in an upgrade.

“He’s a first round draft pick, so he can afford to buy a nice belt,” Blackburn said with a smile. “He’s definitely making more money than the rest of us out there, so if anyone’s going to buy a new belt, it’s definitely going to be Jason.”

That’s just fine with the rookie, who has developed such a passion for special teams that he said he plans to win the award every time so log as the coaches leave him on special teams.

“They want me to get a new one,” he confirmed with a broad smile. “I’m definitely thinking about it getting a real hammer belt, like a wrestling belt. “I think next week (against Houston) it should be mine again, and if I win it, then maybe I will buy a new one.”

link

ST is improving ever so slightly for us, maybe this is the reason why!?

Don't tell San Diego!

[kkr]

Cutler's Bears

[usvilla]

^ and they will still win more games than the giants ^

[kurtsimonw]

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- A sprained plant-foot ankle incurred Friday during practice could keep Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes out of the lineup Sunday against the Detroit Lions and force a late roster addition.

Tynes injured the left ankle on a kickoff during special teams drills. He walked off the field under his own power and was later sent to the locker room.

"We have to watch and see how he does," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. "He did this in the summer one time, and he was able to come back after a couple of days."

Tynes, who is 5-of-8 in field goals and is perfect on 13 extra-point tries, is listed as questionable.

His most likely replacement, if it came to that, would be former Saints kicker John Carney, whom New Orleans released on Oct. 12. Carney played for the Giants in 2008 while Tynes recuperated from a knee injury. He kicked so well in Tynes' absence that Tynes never regained his job.

Former Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons kicker Jason Elam, former Cincinnati Bengal Shayne Graham, and former Washington Redskin and Dallas Cowboy Scott Suisham are other kickers looking for jobs.

The Giants also could use rookie punter Matt Dodge on kickoffs, considering his experience there at East Carolina. But it is unlikely they would trust the punter with field-goal duties.

"Dodge has done that. He's kicked off," Coughlin said. "We have some flexibility there."

Dodge kicked off 137 times during his three-year college career but had just 10 touchbacks.

"At times, I thought I was pretty good at it, for sure," Dodge said. "I had a few touchbacks here or there. We sprayed the ball around a lot. I feel I could do it if I needed to."

Dodge said he also hit an extra point and attempted a field goal in college, though he did miss the 40-plus-yard field goal.

"I pulled it," he said.

Dodge did some kickoff work Friday after Tynes came off, but it was not extensive.

"It was kind of like an extended warm-up," Dodge said. "It wasn't intense. Just something to make sure I could do it."

But Dodge was reluctant to pencil himself in anywhere but punter after seeing how Tynes entered the locker room.

"He doesn't look like he's hobbling at all, so encouraging," Dodge said. "I think he will be OK."

Tynes has hit 124 of 155 field goals in seven years with the Kansas City Chiefs and Giants.

I don't like to wish ill on people, but I hope he's not okay to kick, he shouldn't even be in the job. Carney went to the Pro Bowl with us when Tynes was injured, yet we never bloody re-signed him. Just get Carney back already, he's money from 40 under.

Notes: C Shaun O'Hara, who has missed the past three games with Achilles and ankle issues, took snaps with the first unit, but remained questionable. "He felt good about it," Coughlin said. "He's making progress. I'm sure he'll be a gametime decision."

WR Victor Cruz (hamstring), FB Madison Hedgecock (hamstring), DE Mathias Kiwanuka (neck) and DB Brian Jackson (neck) remained on the stationary bikes and were ruled out for Sunday, as was T Will Beatty (foot).

LB Keith Bulluck (toe) continued to work and appears to be on track to return Sunday after missing two games, though he is listed as questionable. RB Danny Ware (groin) is also questionable.

NFL.com

[kkr]

Tbf i think Tynes is under rated, he always takes a while to get going every year missing short ones early but this season that can be attributed to Dodge who was doing a bad job of holding the ball for kicks and he has now been subsequently replaced by Rosenfels.

As the season progresses Tynes becomes more consistent, Mike Garafolo also spoke to him and he said we will be good to go.

[kkr]

Notes: C Shaun O'Hara, who has missed the past three games with Achilles and ankle issues, took snaps with the first unit, but remained questionable. "He felt good about it," Coughlin said. "He's making progress. I'm sure he'll be a gametime decision."

WR Victor Cruz (hamstring), FB Madison Hedgecock (hamstring), DE Mathias Kiwanuka (neck) and DB Brian Jackson (neck) remained on the stationary bikes and were ruled out for Sunday, as was T Will Beatty (foot).

LB Keith Bulluck (toe) continued to work and appears to be on track to return Sunday after missing two games, though he is listed as questionable. RB Danny Ware (groin) is also questionable.

If O'Hara can go id start him so we can get some more chemistry going with the O-line before Dallas. Id also start Andrews at LT as i dont fancy Diehl having do deal with Ware what with him not being able to pass block and all.

Andrews---Diehl---O'Hara---Snee---McKenzie

Then use Seubert as a TE in two TE sets so we can really impose the power running game. Infact to start the game i think we should have Seubert in as a TE to double Ware with either Andrews or Mckenzie.

As far as this week goes, the Lions are bringing in CC(Cant Cover) Brown who has been running his mouth about the players and coaches since he left and how he was made a scapegoat for our poor D last year, even though Sheridan clearly found that guy in Osi who has 6 sacks and 5 ff's this year.

This week CC chimed in by calling Eli erratic saying that he can stink it up or have a game like Peyton, i mean we all know thats true but it just ensured a Peyton like performance from Eli! Im thinking multiple TD's, 0 picks, 300+ yards and another huge game for Nicks.

That said i dont care if we win 2-0 and Eli throws 5 picks! Just get the win this week and roll into Dallas 4-2.

Im not sure if i want Dallas to lose or win this week? I guess i always want them to lose but im just trying to think what would be easier, going into face a 1-4 team or a 2-3 team? I guess 1-4 as they would have a sniff off .500 otherwise and a lot more hope.

Go Giants, Go Vikes!

[kurtsimonw]

Im thinking multiple TD's, 0 picks, 300+ yards and another huge game for Nicks.

Eli's getting no luck this season, so I expect another fluke pick. I'll go with 325, 3 TDs and 1 INT.

Im not sure if i want Dallas to lose or win this week? I guess i always want them to lose but im just trying to think what would be easier, going into face a 1-4 team or a 2-3 team? I guess 1-4 as they would have a sniff off .500 otherwise and a lot more hope.

Dallas to lose would play into our hands even more. At 1-4, then playing a divisional opponent who're 2.5 games ahead they have to win and Romo tends to try and force things a bit too much when the pressure gets to them. We can just sit back and let them beat themselves.

[kkr]

Yeah i think you are right there, the more desperate they get the more erratic Romo becomes!

Better communication under Perry Fewell key to Giants' defensive rise

Justin Tuck chose his words carefully, even providing a warning not to misconstrue what he was about to say.

Yet the Giants’ defensive captain wanted to reveal his happiness playing for new coordinator Perry Fewell, who has helped make the Giants the NFL’s top defense through five weeks.

It’s a departure from last season, when a late-season collapse incited frustration among the players, cost former coordinator Bill Sheridan his job and left coach Tom Coughlin searching for a different personality to coach his defense.

Sheridan “didn’t have the attitude Perry has,” Tuck said this week, cautioning against interpreting the remark as a negative attack on Sheridan.

“He made a defense he believed in and he stuck with it. Whereas Perry made a defense he believed in, and we go to him and say, ‘Perry, I think we should do this,’ and he’s going to take that and say, ‘I know, you’re right, let’s do it this time.’The difference is the communication levels between Perry and Bill.”

After losing two of their first three games, the Giants enter Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions on a two-game winning streak. They’ve held opponents to 244.6 yards per game, tallied 19 sacks and kept opposing rushers to 3.5 yards per carry.

The improvements are not entirely the byproduct of Fewell’s system. The Giants added safeties Antrel Rolle and Deon Grant during the offseason to complement Kenny Phillips, who returned from injury. The defensive line is healthier and a handful of young players have experienced spikes in development.

But it’s clear the team’s defensive players benefited from a system that Fewell terms “player-friendly” and a coordinator that reminds Tuck “so much of Spags.”

Before the Giants won the 2008 Super Bowl in Steve Spagnuolo’s first season as defensive coordinator, they allowed 80 points in the season’s first two games. Tuck can already draw parallels between Fewell’s beginning and Spagnuolo’s start.

“Eighty points in two games, it doesn’t get any worse than that,” Tuck said. “But then something clicked. And then we started playing the best defense of our lives. And it’s kind of similar this year.”

Tuck said when the defense returns to the sideline, Fewell asks what they witnessed on a given play and what could be done differently.

“Not only ask you that, but two series later, he drew up a different defense saying, ‘they’re doing this to you, we’re doing this,’ ” Tuck said. “It allows you to have ownership of our defense.”

Fewell said his system is not rigid and allows for variation. That can be witnessed in the way Fewell adapted to his personnel, utilizing Grant on the field as a third safety and finding ways to play more than two defensive ends at a time.

Fewell considers his conversations with the players as a “give and take.” He does not know what the split is between their input and his instruction, but acknowledges it’s more discussion than lecture.

“Sometimes I see things that they don’t see and sometimes they see things and we talk about what they did in previous weeks that we can change up, so there’s a lot of dialogue going on,” Fewell said.

Tuck and Fewell independently referenced a sense of ownership. Fewell said the improved run defense is the byproduct of players making a commitment to forcing opposing offenses into a one-dimensional attack.

Tuck said the results on the field are a “direct correlation” to the players feeling a part of the defense Fewell calls.

“I think Perry understood how to bring us in as far as getting us close, getting us to understand where he was coming from and he understand where we’re coming from,” Tuck said.

“Once that happens, it’s easy to play for a guy. It’s easy to go out there and say I’m going to put it all on the line for this guy because he’s doing the same for me.”

link

[kkr]

Alledgedly Tynes ankle was no good today so we have put Victor Cruz on IR and signed Shayne Graham. Shame for Cruz as i think he was ready to come back soon. Graham is shit too.