Giant Football Blog

Giants Will Rise To The Occasion vs Vikings

I expect the Giants to bounce back vs a slightly overrated Vikings team. The scariest challenge for the Giants is Culpepper with his 19 TDs and only 3 ints. He had 2 TDs and 2 ints in last years lost vs the Giants (29-17). Giants will need those turnovers and more to win this game. Moss is expected to play more than He did vs the Titans. Coughlin will right this ship and have them ready to play. It was a tough week of practice after the embarrassing loss to the Lions last week. Giants will have to overcome the probable loss of O'Hara and a possibly a limited Toomer. Strahan will be able to pressure Culpepper. We will see much better line play than We did vs Lions. Giants need to have an effective running game and long drives. Ball control will help shift the odds into the Giants favor. Giants win 30-27.

It's Great indoors for Kurt

It's home sweet dome today for Kurt Warner. The Giants quarterback loves domed stadiums. In his six seasons with the Rams, Warner was 31-7 in domes as a starter, a record fueled by the fact the Rams played their home games inside the Edward Jones Dome. Today, Warner ventures into enemy territory when he makes his first appearance in the Metrodome. Continue.

Time For Shock Value

One of these days, Tiki Barber won't be able to carry the Giants. One of these days, Tiki Barber is going to fumble. Today might be one of those days.If today is one of those days, then this would be the ideal time for Jeremy Shockey to have his first breakout game for Tom Coughlin. Shockey has had a quiet start to his third season. Coughlin has lined the tight end up in the backfield and asked him to move and block more than Jim Fassel asked, and there have been growing pains with that role. Shockey missed preseason with a foot injury and was rusty when the bell rang. There have been several drops and a taunting penalty in Dallas that earned Shockey a private tete-a-tete with the new head coach. Continue.

Dome Away From Home

The offseason purge of the coaches' offices and locker room erased much of the recent past from the Giants' memory banks, which was part of the idea. But there are times when experience can help, and coach Tom Coughlin is willing to call upon it.It didn't work last week, when the Giants again failed to heed the lesson of bye weeks past and flopped at home against the Lions. This week they hope to benefit from a more positive recent trend. Continue.

Purple Avengers

A year ago, the overmatched Giants went into the noisy Metrodome, took on the undefeated Minnesota Vikings and went home with a win.So why can't the Giants do that again this year? Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper has an answer."I think right now, at 5-1, we're much more mature and a much better team than we were last year at 6-0," Culpepper said. Continue.

Lucier To Get Start At Center

One of his dreams came true this week when his beloved Red Sox won the World Series. Another pretty significant development has Wayne Lucier set to make his first start of the season at center for the Giants tomorrow against the Vikings. The starting center, Shaun O'Hara, has been hospitalized since Thursday with an infection in his lower leg and ankle that has been diagnosed as cellulitis. Lucier, a second-year lineman who made 11 starts (five at center, six at left guard) last year as a rookie is next in line. Continue.

Spooked By Moss?

Cue the scary movie music. The score from "Halloween" would be appropriate for the occasion.There it is, right on the official Friday injury report for the Giants-Vikings game: Unlike Wednesday and Thursday, when Randy Moss was listed as "Q/DNP," meaning questionable/did not practice, there now is a solitary capital "P." Continue.

O'Hara Feeling Blue

Giants center Shaun O'Hara is almost certainly out with a cellulitis infection on his leg and Wayne Lucier, the man who will replace him against the Vikings tomorrow, knows almost exactly how he feels.A year ago, as the Giants prepared to visit the Metrodome, it was Lucier who had taken ill with a similar bacterial infection that stayed in his bloodstream. Somehow, he was able to play and play well. Continue.

NY Giants Injury Report vs Vikings

Questionable

WR Amani Toomer (Hamstring)
DT Fred Robbins (Shoulder)
S Jack Brewer (Chest)
C Shaun O'Hara (Infection)

Probable

CB Frank Walker (Ankle)
T Brandon Winey (Illness)

Toomer's Injury Puts Strain On Streak

The Giants might have to go into Sunday's shootout with the Vikings without two keys to their offense.
Wide receiver Amani Toomer is in considerable danger of having his streak of consecutive games played snapped at 118 because of a strained hamstring that hasn't allowed him to practice this week. Center Shaun O'Hara left practice early yesterday with an infection in his leg and also is questionable for Sunday. Continue.

Warner Can't Be Like Vikes

When the Giants enter the Metrodome Sunday, they will do so under circumstances eerily similar to their last visit, almost one year ago.Once again, they will be coming off a demoralizing, potentially season-turning loss at home and going up against a Minnesota Vikings team that couldn't be hotter. Continue.

O'Hara Has Leg Infection

Giants center Shaun O'Hara hosted a Halloween party for his teammates on Monday to get a jump on the spooky season. The Giants have to work on Halloween - they'll dress up as football players on Sunday in Minneapolis - but O'Hara might not be able to join them. Continue.

Potent Arsenal

Fred Robbins spent four years as Daunte Culpepper's teammate, and since quarterbacks always are off limits in practice, he never has had a chance to hit him."Not yet," he said yesterday.
Robbins was smiling, but the Giants have to hope he also was issuing a threat. If Robbins and his fellow defensive linemen do not hit and/or pressure Culpepper, they could be in for a difficult Sunday. Continue.

No Green light for Barrett

Late-arriving LB Barrett Green has seen plenty of Tom Coughlin' bad side.
The question hung in the air like the dark cloud that has been hovering over Barrett Green's locker ever since he showed up late for work one day during the bye week. After all he's been through since then, and after being benched by coach Tom Coughlin, is he sorry he ever signed with the Giants? Continue.

Win Or Lose, Tom Rules

The uneasy peace between Tom Coughlin and his players was nearly disrupted last week by a dangerous, two-headed monster: An ugly dispute with one of his key players, followed by an ugly loss.
Earlier this season, that would have been a recipe for disaster, but after six games under Coughlin, it appears that the players have learned to accept their fate. If there is any outrage that Coughlin benched linebacker Barrett Green and limited him to special teams play against his former team on Sunday, Green and his teammates are keeping it to themselves. Apparently they have realized that battling Coughlin isn't worth the effort. Continue.

Tom sees red over 3rd-&-Dayne

When Ron Dayne jogged onto the field with about eight minutes to go in the first half Sunday, the crowd at Giants Stadium began to boo. The fans knew he was going to get the ball on third-and-goal from the 1-yard line. And they knew that was a bad idea. Continue.

Warner Pins Loss On Pick

No one player is responsible for winning or losing, but Kurt Warner yesterday boiled down the 28-13 loss to the Lions to one play he'd love to have back.
From the Detroit 11-yard line with 39 seconds left in the first half, Warner threw on the run and too softly for Amani Toomer in the right corner of the end zone. The pass was intercepted by cornerback Chris Cash. The Giants could have taken a 17-7 lead and, at the very least, should have been ahead 13-7 rather than the 10-7 lead they took into the half. Continue.

Fade Pattern Not Open

Why didn't the Giants try a fade pass to Jeremy Shockey on third-and-goal at the 1, considering it produced a touchdown in each of the previous two games?
Coach Tom Coughlin and quarterback Kurt Warner said it was because of the way the Lions deploy their coverage in the end zone. Continue.

Coughlin Must Go For It

The next crisis is always one loss away. That's the way it works in the NFL, a volatile, week-to-week business - unless, of course, it's the Patriots, who never lose.
The Giants built a cushion with their four-game winning streak, so there was no panic around the team yesterday after the dreadful loss to the Lions. So this just may be a mini-crisis, a one-game stinker against a medicore team. It it wasn't like one of those last-minute meltdowns against the Cowboys and Eagles last year. But if the Giants lose again Sunday in Minnesota, then things may start to get a little edgy. Continue.

Plenty Of Holes In Defense

It would have been easy for the Giants' defenders to say Detroit out-schemed them yesterday, to say they were tricked or fooled or outsmarted. Easy, but untrue. Yesterday's 28-13 loss was more about heart and hustle than Xs and Os. Continue.

Strahan Gives Bad Reviews To Strahan

A Giants player was asked about the lack of pressure his team put on Lions quarterback Joey Harrington yesterday."Strahan didn't get any pressure on the quarterback," the player said after Detroit's 28-13 victory at Giants Stadium. "He's overrated. He should retire. Write it. Write it all." Continue.

Giants Flat In Huge Loss To Lions

I guess all that bulls*it about Tom Coughlin being the general and whipping his boys into shape during the bye week was a little off base. The Giants looked horrible in all aspects of the game except for maybe kicking. Warner looked shaky as all hell and was constantly pressured. I was literally waiting for Manning to come in and spark the offense. The floating duck Warner threw into the endzone just before halftime said it all. Giants failed to score a TD in 3 trips to the redzone. The offensive line looked like it was back in preseason. Detroit pressured Warner without having to blitz. The defense didn't do much better. Harrington was 18-22 with 2 TDs, He looked like Johnny U back there. The Giants lost the turnover battle 2-0. The bottom line is that the Giants can't take anyone lightly and must win the turnover battle to have a good chance of winning the game. This game should have been a W, the Giants will regret losing this game when they are angling for a playoff spot down the road.

Big Blue Streak Fed To Lions

The worst part about yesterday was that Tom Coughlin saw it coming. Not only was he well aware of the Giants' history of stumbling out of the bye week, but he sensed their minds wandering early last week.Continue.

Giants Will Tame Lions

The Lions are 3-2 and have done a nice job so far this year. The Giants are 4-1, but are coming off a bye week where they have been 1-6 under coach Fassel and 3-12 overall. Bad spot for the Giants? No. The Lions are dead last in total offense and 29th in total defense. Lions do not have any healthy playmakers on offense. Eddie Drummond has been getting a lot of press this week because of his prowess in kick returns, I am confident the Giants will be able to contain him. The Giants will be aggressive on offense and defense, look for a comfortable Giant win. The Giants want to be on a roll heading to Minnesota next week. Giants win 27-9.

Barret Green Pisses Off Coughlin

Barret Green will not be starting against his former team Sunday. Coughlin will start Nick Greisen instead. Green was at least 2 hours late to Wednesday's practice according to Paul Schwartz, you can read his article here.

NY Giants Injury Report vs Lions

Questionable

DT Kenderick Allen (Calf)
DT Fred Robbins (Shoulder)

William Joseph Progressing Along

Michael Strahan has high praise for William Joseph.

"I'm telling you, Willie Jo's going to be great," Strahan said. "In the limited opportunities he's had he's made plays. He's a big guy, he's strong. He's getting an understanding of the game and what teams try to accomplish against him. He's still learning, but at the same time, just off of raw talent he could be a good player."

Joseph may start for Fred Robbins on Sunday due to a shoulder injury. Here is some insight into the Giant's 1st round pick of 2003.

Coughlin Fighting Poor Giants Post-Bye Record

Tom Coughlin's Giants had a game week-like practice last week in order to keep the team fresh and hungry for their return game vs Detroit Lions. Giants are not only fighting for a playoff spot, but also a division title. The last thing Coughlin wants is a complacent team on his hands. The Giants have lost seven of their last eight post-bye games. They were 1-6 under coach Fassel. Coughlin was 5-3 after byes with the Jacksonville Jaguars. I expect the Giants will be ready to rumble vs Detroit.

Coughlin's All About Football

Tom Coughlin is your typical dedicated pro football coach. Coughlin is consumed by football on a daily basis. NY POST has an inside look into Coughlin's routine.

Giants Place Tim Carter and Wes Mallard On IR, Add 2 Players

Linebacker T.J. Hollowell and running back Derrick Ward signed with the New York Giants on Wednesday according to AP. I would not expect much playing time with these additions other than special teams.

Tim Carter Down and Out

Tim Carter has a fractured hip socket that He suffered in the 2nd quarter of the Dallas game trying to catch a Warner pass in the end zone. It is not certain if He will have to have surgery. Jamaar Taylor should get more playing time as a result.

Giants Corral Them Cowboys 26-10

How about them Giants! Giants go into Dallas and convincingly beat up Bill Parcells and the Cowboys. It was a true team effort, Offense and Defense made some key plays. Giant's D stopped Cowboys on 4th and 1 at their own 5 yard line. Then Parcells made a horrible decision in going for it again on 4th and 1 in the 4th quarter from their own 43 yard line. The score was 16-10 Giants at the time and basically sealed the Cowboys fate when they failed to convert. Giants practiced a bend don't break defense, giving up 126 yards on the ground. Warner was once again solid going 18-33 for 217 yards and 1 TD to Shockey. Tim Carter dropped a sure TD pass in the first quarter. Tiki, who is playing like an all-pro, had another outstanding day. Barber was 23-122 with 1 TD rushing and 5-76 receiving. Barber had 2 touches for 50+ yards, 1 rushing, 1 receiving. Steve Christie was 4-4 in FGs and had 1 FG for 51 yards, a nice turnaround from last week. The Giants have to be happy being 4-1 going into the bye week, when they return they will face the new and improved Detroit Lions at home on October 24th. I can only assume Coughlin will have his team ready when they return from the bye. Giants can now talk about the playoffs and be taken seriously. Coughlin and company have brought the Giants back from being laughable to very respectable.

Giants Will Lasso Cowboys

Giants visit Cowboys today in an early battle for 2nd place in the NFC East. Giants have a +11 turnover ratio. Cowboys are -3. That should make all the difference today. Dallas does not have a lot of talent on offense. They do have a top O-line but no one healthy enough to take advantage of it. Eddie George is a shell of his former self. Giants secondary is very confident, If Strahan and gang can get pressure on Testaverde the Giants will be in good shape. Vinny is prone to make mistakes when pressured, and does not move around well. Cowboys will blitz, this will be a good test for the Giant's O-line. Giants don't score a lot of points on anyone, but should put up enough to beat this lackluster Cowboy team. 16-13 Giants.

NY Giants Injury Report vs Cowboys

Questionable

DT Norman Hand (Elbow)
DB Mark Jones (Shoulder)

Out

LB Wes Mallard (Knee) torn ACL out for season

Giants Have Early High Stakes Game vs Dallas Cowboys

Giants have a huge game vs Cowboys Sunday. Giants can be 4-1 going into the bye week. They have a very manageable schedule the rest of the way. Giants can realistically win 11 games. The downside of the Giant's early sucess is that they will not be able to sneak up on anybody. ESPN has the Giants ranked 11th on their weekly power rankings. Parcells coming off a bye week should have a solid gameplan for Big Blue. Coach Coughlin will remind the Giant players about some of their shortcomings and have them ready to play. Hopefully Steve Christie will be ready, the Giants might need him to connect this week.

Giants KO Favre, Packers 14-7

Giants knocked out Brett Favre and the Packers Sunday at Lambeau field. Favre was knocked out by William Joseph early in the 3rd quarter. Favre was replaced by Doug Pederson after throwing a TD post KO. Favre did not have medical clearance and had to sit out the rest of the game. Tiki Barber rushed for 182 yards and 1 TD. Kurt Warner was 20-26 for 187 yds with 1 TD and 1 INT. Warner threw his 1st INT of the season from Green Bay's 2 yard line into the endzone. Shockey caught his 1st TD of the season from Warner in the 3rd quarter , putting the Giant's up 14-7. Giants defense was very impressive. Ahman Green rushed for only 58 yds and lost one fumble. Gibril Wilson continues to impress, leading the defense with 12 tackles.(10 solo) The Giant's secondary kept the Packer's passing attack under control all day. Steve Christie missed 3 makeable FGs. I would not be surprised if the Giants tried to upgrade their placekicker position. Those FGs could have been critical. Giants are now 3-1 and play Dallas next week in Dallas. This is now a big game, if Giants lose they would be tied with the Cowboys for second place in the NFC east.

Giants Can't Sack This Pack

Giants must play keep away from Amahn Green and Brett Favre today. Giants won't be able to win a scoring contest with the Packers. Giants will need long sustained drives. Barber and Dayne need to be effective on the ground. Packers do have a banged up secondary that Warner can exploit. I am not confident that the Giants can stop Ahman Green. Green is known to fumble (5 Fumbles lost in 2003) and could be a major factor in this game. Favre + Green = Big Blue loss. 27-17 Packers.

NY Giants Injury Report vs Packers

Questionable

RB Ron Dayne (Calf)
WR Jamaar Taylor (Hamstring)
CB Frank Walker (Foot)
DE Keith Washington (Concussion/Burner)

Out

S Shaun Williams (Knee)