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« August 2005 | Main | October 2005 »
Giants cornerback Will Peterson said yesterday that a missed diagnosis by the team's medical staff may cost him the rest of this season, if not his career. Peterson, who missed the last part of the 2003 season with a back injury, said he played in Sunday's game against the Chargers after being told that his condition would result in pain but not further harm, and that only after returning to New Jersey in worse shape did he learn otherwise. Continue
As ugly as the Giants' defense looked Sunday night, it looked even uglier when it was replayed for them on film the next day. That's when they could see all their missed tackles, their poor techniques and the countless assignment errors from nearly every player. "It wouldn't have been a bad idea to burn the film, to be honest with you," Tom Coughlin said. Instead, the Giants had to pick apart every snap of their 45-23 nightmare in San Diego. Then, knowing they face another dangerous team in the St. Louis Rams this Sunday, they had to figure out how not to do that again.
The first step was apparently taken yesterday afternoon when Coughlin shook up his linebacking corps - hardly an unexpected move, considering he first did it late in the Chargers game. Though Coughlin didn't announce any moves, several players said Reggie Torbor is out as the starter on the strong side, Nick Greisen will be the starter on the weak side and Carlos Emmons will switch back to the strong side where he played all last year. Continue
Before coach Tom Coughlin told receiver Plaxico Burress he would not start last Sunday night's game in San Diego, he first met with team leaders to discuss the decision. Burress was late for two team meetings, prompting Coughlin to fine him and then sit him for the Giants' first two offensive series. That ended up being the entire first quarter of an eventual 45-23 loss.
Coughlin before the game called together RB Tiki Barber, DE Michael Strahan, LB Antonio Pierce and center Shaun O'Hara to tell them what Burress' punishment would be. "Tom had to do what he had to do," Barber said. "He told us before he told Plaxico and we were supportive of it. There's an accountability factor all of us have to be aware of, not just on Sundays but all the days of the week. I think Plaxico accepts that. It's unfortunate it lasted the whole quarter. Continue
There was no celebration on the plane ride home from San Diego after the coming-out party for Eli Manning. He was quiet and upset, just like the rest of the organization, despite playing by far his best game as a pro.
Up at the front of the plane, however, there may have been a brief moment or two when Giants GM Ernie Accorsi allowed himself to smile. Finally, his prized quarterback showed he had the makings of a star, capable of carrying a franchise. Finally, he showed he may be worth the price the Giants paid to get him. None of that came as a surprise to Accorsi. But finally, in the darkness of the Giants' 45-23 loss to the Chargers, everyone else got to see what he already knew. Continue
The Giants knew Chargers fans were going to make life difficult for Eli Manning in San Diego Sunday night. But they weren't happy that the Chargers organization tried to make things tough for him, too.
Some members of the Giants organization were annoyed at what they considered to be "bush league" tactics employed by the Chargers, apparently designed to inflame a crowd that was already fired up by Manning's first trip to San Diego after he advised the team not to take him in the 2004 draft and was eventually traded to the Giants. They appeared to do their best to keep the atmosphere in a riotous state all night, and did little to prevent the quarterback from being pelted with debris as he left the field after the game. Continue
It is often difficult - if not impossible - to get Tom Coughlin to publicly praise one of his players. But the Giants' coach was full of compliments yesterday when talking about the performance of quarterback Eli Manning during Sunday night's 45-23 loss to San Diego.
"I thought standing there live last night and looking at the tape this morning, he played very well," Coughlin said. "He did a lot of good things; he moved around in the pocket, made big plays. He showed great composure, I thought." Manning was under intense pressure going into the game, not only because the previously 0-2 Chargers were desperate for a win but also because he had dissed the organization 17 months ago by saying that he would refuse to play for the team prior to the draft. Continue
After making the Chargers look like something from the days of Air Coryell, members of the Giants defense knew they couldn't explain their horrendous performance Sunday night. No one took it more personally than new middle linebacker Antonio Pierce. "They brought me in here to stop the run," Pierce said. "I stunk it up. We stunk it up. They dominated us." Indeed they did. While the Giants expected a tough test going up against All-Pro running back LaDainian Tomlinson, they couldn't have predicted what he and the rest of what had been a struggling Chargers offense would do to them in a 45-23 defeat.
Tomlinson ran for 192 yards and three touchdowns, while QB Drew Brees turned into Joe Montana (19 of 22, 191 yards, 2 TDs). Tom Coughlin hadn't had a chance to analyze everything that went wrong, but he knows that the showing was unacceptable. "It was a very poor performance by our defensive team," Coughlin said. "The numbers were ridiculous. We're going to look at it and tear it down every way we can." Continue
Plaxico Burress and Jeremy Shockey were both thrilled with the way Eli Manning handled himself in front of the hostile crowd in San Diego — a group that refused to forget Manning had spurned them nearly 18 months ago.
And they both feel the outcome of the 45-23 defeat could have been different had Burress not been kept off the field in the first quarter by coach Tom Coughlin for being late to team meetings. "I understand his point, but it's really not fair," Shockey said of Coughlin's decision to bench Burress early. "It affects the whole team." Continue
The Chargers' fans waited a long time to take their shot at Eli Manning, to let him know what they thought of him and his decision to spurn their team and city two years ago. They wanted to see him rattled. They wanted to see him beaten. Instead, they saw the finest performance of his young career. And for the Giants, it wasn't nearly enough.
Despite Manning's long-awaited breakout game, the Giants were pounded by the San Diego Chargers last night, 45-23. Manning was outstanding, completing 24 of 41 passes for 352 yards and two touchdowns. But his effort was wasted by a defense that gave up 192 rushing yards and three touchdowns to Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson and buried its young quarterback in an early 21-3 hole. Continue
The boos and rude chants came thundering down on Eli Manning from the moment he ran onto the field, rising up every time he lined up under center. San Diegans got their payback, and it was raucous. "I knew it was going to be loud," said Manning, who spurned the Chargers 17 months ago, then lost to them as San Diego defeated the New York Giants 45-23 on Sunday night.
While the sellout crowd of 65,373 delighted in tormenting Manning, it also exhorted the Chargers and LaDainian Tomlinson, who ran for 192 yards and three touchdowns, and threw for another score on a night that left thousands of ear drums ringing, especially Manning's. Continue
Two games into his first full season as a starter, Eli Manning's record is perfect, even though his performance has been far from it. Thanks mostly to some terrific performances by his teammates, he has a 2-0 record. And he'd argue that's the statistic that matters most.
But sometime in the future, Manning will face a game when his teammates aren't so terrific and they'll need their franchise quarterback to win a game on his own. And despite nine games now of evidence that paint Manning as more mediocre than magical, his teammates still believe that's something he can do. "I don't see why not?" said Plaxico Burress. "He's a quarterback. I'm pretty sure that if it calls for him to be in that situation, he'll handle it very well." Continue
SAN Diego will get over Eli. And, even if the worst happens tonight, Eli quickly will get over San Diego, too. For a Week 3, it is an interesting game, but just one game nonetheless. Seven remain at the Meadowlands far more potentially scarring should a quarterback picked first overall not become what he is supposed to be. "Getting abused at home hurts more because that's your home crowd," Manning said this week. "It's all part of playing on the road."
It can quickly become part of playing at home, too, if you don't have enough team. When that happens, the quarterback can never have enough arm to save you. Despite throwing for 23,911 yards and 125 touchdowns with the Saints, Archie Manning's gun couldn't produce one winning season out of 13. The son of a gun won't either if the Giants can't continue to run the ball and force turnovers as they have in starting 2-0. Continue
Osi Umenyiora glances down the row of lockers that separates him from the prize of the Giants' franchise and can only shake his head and laugh. Nineteen months later, it's still "crazy" to him that the Giants nearly gave up their draft-day pursuit of Eli Manning, all because they were unwilling to give up him.
"That is crazy," Umenyiora said. "If I was the general manager, I probably would've traded myself to get Eli. I'm glad I'm still here, though. I feel like I'm about to be part of something special. I'm glad they didn't make that trade." Continue
Michael Strahan missed practice yesterday, suffering from the same back spasms that bothered him last weekend. He is expected to see a chiropractor before the Giants leave for San Diego this afternoon and he's questionable for tomorrow night's game.
"It always concerns me, but he fought his way back last weekend and played well," Tom Coughlin said. "Hopefully we'll get him back to where he can perform as good as or better than last week." Last week, however, the Giants played at Giants Stadium. This time Strahan and his cranky back will have to endure a five-hour flight. "Yeah, that's not good," Coughlin said. "He'll be laying down on the seat, I'm sure." Continue
Giants cornerback Will Allen, in the fourth quarter of last Monday night's 27-10 victory over the Saints, was shocked to see rookie Corey Webster on the field, set to take Allen's place with the starting defense. Allen was pulled from the game, and Webster moved in at left cornerback. Near the end of the game, after Webster's bruised thigh acted up, Allen was reinserted. "Of course it's going to be surprising to me; I'm a starter and I feel I should be a starter," Allen said yesterday.
The move is not permanent, for now. Tom Coughlin said Allen will start Sunday night in San Diego but it is clear Webster is breathing down Allen's neck. "Obviously we had trouble, not just Will Allen," Coughlin said. "Whoever was singled up one-on-one had trouble." Continue
A year ago, things looked great for the Giants early in the season, too. They got off to a 4-1 start, thanks to some big plays from their defense, and they felt like their offense would soon get better. Before long they were being hailed as one of the NFL's biggest surprises. Then everything fell apart.
That's why, after the Giants moved to 2-0 late Monday night with a 27-10 win over New Orleans, someone asked Tom Coughlin to compare last year's good start to this one. The Giants coach decided there's no comparison at all. "That kind of bothered me (Monday) night when those questions came up," Coughlin said yesterday. "It's not last year. I mean, it's this year. It's a different football team. We have more people here. And I think we're playing better football. Maybe not complete football, but we're playing good enough to be 2-0." Continue
Their second road game is actually their first, so pardon the unbeaten Giants for a slight case of confusion as they embark on a short week, their first trip of the season and a Sunday night game in San Diego. "It's definitely a road game," a smiling linebacker Carlos Emmons said, thinking back on the absurdity of the Giants officially getting credit for a road win for Monday night's 27-10 victory over the Saints at Giants Stadium. "Maybe they'll paint the stadium Giants colors."
Just then, Emmons was reminded that for this particular encounter, it's unlikely the Chargers will be in a gracious mood. Not with Eli Manning coming to town, the same Eli Manning who spurned an entire franchise, warning not to take him with the first pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. When they did, Manning would not place the San Diego cap on his head and refused to play out west, triggering the blockbuster trade to the Giants. Continue
The Giants in general and Tom Coughlin in particular love the fact that kicker Jay Feely comports himself like a regular player. Feely loves to do the dirty work, lifts weights with a passion and frequently engages in coverage and tackling just like any other member of the special teams. The zeal may have to be tempered just a bit.
Feely on the opening kickoff of Monday night's 27-10 victory over the Saints lowered his head to contribute to a tackle of Saint return man Fred McAfee, helping cause a fumble. Feely strained his lower back on the play, though, and needed a painkilling injection in order to remain in the game. "I will be all right," he said. "I'm not missing anything. It was hurting, went in and got a shot, felt better after that. It's sore when I walk but I'll be all right." Continue
It's taken just two weeks to reduce the list of undefeated teams in the NFL down to seven. And the Giants, who produced back-to-back seasons of eight-game losing streaks, are a flawed team with a perfect record. So, is this a tease, this first 2-0 start since the Super Bowl season of 2000? Or are the Giants finally serious about making another playoff run after they made a statement with their 27-10 victory over the Saints last night in their home/road game at Giants Stadium?
Remember, there was playoff fever in Giants camp last year after their 5-2 start. But not so much eight games later when they were 5-10. "We're not playing our best football right now, but we're winning games," Jeremy Shockey said. "I look at that as a positive. We left a lot of yards out there." Continue
THE letter the Giants ought to send to NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue should go something like this: "Dear Paul, Thank you for your help in organizing a heartfelt fundraising event for our courageous brothers, the Saints. As strange as it was playing in our road whites, and seeing SAINTS in white letters in the west end zone of our stadium, and a small bevy of displaced Saints fans clad in gold behind our bench, we recognize there was no easy solution to the Katrina conundrum, and we applaud your efforts.
Oh. And thank you for the extra home game. It will undoubtedly prove to be of the utmost help in our pursuit of the playoffs." But guess what, New York: You don't have to laugh when you read the words "Giants" and "playoffs" in the same sentence. Continue
To the New Orleans Saints, Monday night's bizarre "home" opener was unfair from the outset. And they played like they didn't want to be there in losing 27-10 to the New York Giants. "They made this seem like the Super Bowl," quarterback Aaron Brooks said of the NFL and the hoopla after New Orleans had six turnovers and 13 penalties.
"We played a team that outplayed us today, but it was way overdone. Setting up a stage, traveling out here, was uncalled for. "Try not to patronize us next time, traveling us to New York, saying we're playing a home game." Added coach Jim Haslett: "We were in the visiting locker room, on the visiting field. It seemed like an away game." Continue
When Eli Manning was a young boy in New Orleans, he played football at the Louisiana Superdome more times than he can remember. It was one of the privileges of being the son of a Saints legend and broadcaster. When the big boys were done playing, he and his brothers were allowed to take the field.
His brother, Peyton, got to play there for real, in high school and the pros, but Eli never did. And after his homecoming, originally scheduled for yesterday, was canceled by Hurricane Katrina, he's not sure if he ever will. "It's still going to be a special game," Manning said. "It's the team that I grew up rooting for, the team that my dad played for. It's something that I'll always remember, especially now, under the circumstances. Continue
While stretching the other day, Brandon Jacobs glanced up and saw coach Tom Coughlin standing over him. "He passed by me and said, 'Hey, you didn't get a third-and-one, what kind of stuff is that?' " Jacobs said. "He got on me about it." Nitpicking and coaching go hand-in-hand, which is why Coughlin saw fit to jibe Jacobs for one of the few negative aspects of his NFL debut.
The 266-pound rookie running back rushed six times for 39 yards in the 42-19 clobbering of the Cardinals last week, including a five-yard touchdown run, and played exceedingly well on special teams, lead blocking with a vengeance and once bulling forward on a 33-yard kickoff return. Tonight figures to be special for Jacobs, who gets to play on Monday Night Football for the first time and also gets to go against the Saints. Jacobs is from Napoleanville, La., and grew up in Saints country. Continue
Jason Whittle can't forget what he felt like back on September 23, 2001, when the Giants charged out of the visitors locker room at Arrowhead Stadium. A reserve offensive lineman, Whittle was stunned when the capacity crowd, red-clad and fiercely loyal to the home team, stood and cheered for the Giants, who were seen as representing New York City 12 days after the terrorist attacks.
"It was unbelievable, I've been in Kansas City before, that's not how Kansas City fans are, they're pretty hard core, but it was amazing the reception we got," said Whittle, who once again is a Giants backup lineman. "Showing their love of the city, it was a pretty neat weekend. Continue
David Tyree never accepted the premise that the Giants drafted him three years ago as "only" a special teamer. He wants to be known for his play as a receiver. And maybe someday he will. But for now, he's proud to be known as one of the NFL's best special teams players, playing for one of the NFL's best special teams.
"Everybody wants to play offense and defense and everybody wants to be the best, that's a given," Tyree said. "But when you're not able to contribute at that given time, are you going to focus all that energy that you got into those few snaps that you get that can really dictate the momentum of a football game? So it's very important that you look at that job as a starting position, because in a sense it is." Continue
Giants defensive end Michael Strahan missed practice yesterday because of back spasms and is questionable for the game against the Saints tomorrow night. Strahan, who has had back trouble in the past, began suffering the spasms Friday night and was treated by a chiropractor yesterday morning. If he can't play against the Saints, rookie Justin Tuck would likely start in his place. "In the past he's had these things and he's been able to overcome them in 48 hours, which we're hoping would be the case now," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. "We'll have to see." Continue
He was nearly as quiet on the field as he was off it, making it natural to overlook William Joseph when evaluating the Giants and their defense. Invisible he was not, but if ever a 6-5, 315-pound man was nondescript, it was Joseph. He figured in the plans for this season, but not prominently, at least not in the minds of virtually anyone associated with the Giants.
Given his first-round draft status (out of Miami in 2003), Joseph wasn't going anywhere because too much money was invested in him. Surely, though, he was about to plunge into that dreary chasm reserved for those labeled spectacular busts. Without warning, training camp arrived this summer and Joseph was running with the first-team at defensive tackle, alongside free-agent pickup Kendrick Clancy. Continue
The biggest hole in the Giants' defense, maybe on the entire team, sure looked like it was plugged on opening day. Kendrick Clancy and William Joseph had terrific games at defensive tackle. The entire run defense against the Cardinals was impressive.
It would be even more impressive if, on Monday night against the New Orleans Saints, they could do it again. That game will be a true test of how well that hole has been plugged for the Giants, because the Saints have two things Arizona did not - a powerful offensive line and one of the best running backs in the league. Continue
Jeremy Shockey earlier in the week voiced what many of the Giants felt: He was happy Eli Manning was hard on himself when he said he wasn't satisfied with his performance in the season opener.
This was a good thing for the Giants: Manning taking a critical view of what unquestionably was a subpar showing. It shows the young quarterback accepts responsibility. What the Giants would prefer is having Manning feel the need to deflect praise to others when describing big plays generated by his right arm. Continue
Barrett Green isn't sure if this is the week he makes his return to the Giants' lineup, but he said he is certain when he does finally take the field it will be to assume his regular starting spot at weak-side linebacker.
Coming off knee surgery, Green played a handful of snaps in the final preseason game and was inactive in the season-opening 42-19 victory over the Cardinals. This week, he endured his most strenuous tests, participating fully in practice, and he said he feels he feels capable of playing a full game.
"Until they feel I'm ready to go out there and play 100 percent for a full game they're not going to let me go out on the field," Green said. Continue
Of all teams, the Giants should know what the Saints are going through. Four years ago, they practiced with the cloud of debris from the World Trade Center still visible from Giants Stadium. On Sunday, they used the anniversary of the attack as an emotional rallying point in their rout of the Cardinals.
Now they "host" the homeless Saints, who play for their beleaguered city in the awful aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. "Why wouldn't they be fired up?" said Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress. "You've got players and coaches on the team who lost homes, they've got scattered family members and they're practicing in a whole 'nother city and state. Continue
There was really no mystery in the eyes of the Giants as to how they were widely viewed in and around the NFL. Not after the league schedule was released and the Giants learned they were not deemed worthy of a Monday Night Football appearance. What did that say about the Giants? "That we were [garbage]," surmised fullback Jim Finn. "You really don't like that," added right tackle Kareem McKenzie, "because it really kind of dawns on you that it's sort of a slap in the face because you don't have the prime-tine slot." Continue
Chad Morton prayed there would be days like last Sunday at Giants Stadium. That's what kept him driven when his knee felt like a bowling ball and NFL teams suddenly forgot his name. Going through a difficult rehab from an injury tests your mind as much as it does your body. Doubts start to hover like vultures waiting to feast on your confidence: "Will I ever be fast enough to play again? Will any team want me?"
Morton, 28, has battled those questions since Halloween last year when, seven games into the season, his knee became twisted while returning a kickoff for the Redskins. Surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament soon followed, and later, so did his release from the Redskins. Continue
Fans wanting to see the Giants-Saints game Monday night can still purchase tickets. In fact, it's possible that might be the only way fans can see the game. As of last night, the Giants were coming dangerously close to having a game blacked out on local television for the first time since 1974. Technically, for the blackout to be lifted, the game must be sold out 72 hours before kickoff - by 7:30 p.m. tomorrow. As of yesterday, 25,000 tickets still remained.
However, the NFL is turning the game, which will be broadcast locally by ABC, into a telethon for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, so it's likely the league will waive the blackout rule in the event the game is not sold out. But when asked about that yesterday, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said, "No decision has been made." Giants VP Pat Hanlon doesn't think the NFL will have to make that decision. "It is my belief that we will sell the remaining tickets," he said. Tickets can still be purchased by calling Ticketmaster, or online at ticketmaster.com. (Daily News)
It is a good thing for the Giants that they have an extra day to heal for Monday night's game against the Saints, as they came out of their season-opening, 42-19 victory over the Cardinals fairly banged up.
The Giants list six players as questionable on their injury report, including three starters. Tight end Jeremy Shockey (ankle) and right tackle Kareem McKenzie (ankle) were both hurt in the opener. Cornerback Will Peterson (knee) sat out the first game. Others who at mid-week are given a 50-percent chance of playing are cornerback Corey Webster (quad), receiver Jamaar Taylor (groin) and linebacker Barrett Green (ankle, knee). (NY Post)
No one is sure exactly when it happened, and William Joseph isn't telling, but sometime between last season and this season something clicked inside the defensive tackle's head. It was as if he realized what a bust he'd been his first two seasons, and decided he wanted to have an NFL career.
Whatever it was, for the first time this summer, the Giants saw signs of life coming from their 2003 first-round draft pick. And on Sunday, during the Giants' 42-19 rout of the Cardinals, Joseph made everyone believe his summer might be more than a fluke. "It's the best he's played since I've been out there on the field with him," Michael Strahan said. "I think once Willie understood what the coaches wanted, he was able to go out there and give it to them. And right now he's phenomenal. When he makes up his mind, with the size that he is and the strength that he has, he really probably is very hard to block." Continue
It had been nearly three years since the Giants had a day like they did Sunday, scoring more than 40 points on their opponents. For Amani Toomer, it had been nearly seven years since he had a day like he did Sunday, when he played an entire game without catching a single pass.
That hadn't happened to the 31-year-old receiver since Dec. 6, 1998, the last season before he became a fixture in the Giants' starting lineup. And yesterday he didn't sound happy about the end of his franchise-record streak of 98 games with at least one catch. Continue
Tom Coughlin wasn't happy on Sunday when Will Peterson decided not to play in the Giants' opener, but the starting cornerback said he made the "smart" decision because of a setback he suffered last week with his injured left knee. "It was disappointing," Coughlin said yesterday. "I'm not going to tell you it wasn't. I want all of our players to play. I want the thrill of participation to be so exciting for everybody that we're all on the same page. It didn't happen."
Peterson - who after the game said it was a "mutual" decision for him to sit out - said the decision shouldn't have come as a surprise. He tested his sprained MCL on the field before the game on Sunday, but decided, "I didn't feel like I could do my job out there." Continue
Fresh off their rousing 42-19 season-opening victory, the Giants yesterday gathered for a film session and quick workout and then were dismissed, given the next two days off by coach Tom Coughlin. As to be expected, the mood was upbeat, but the sight of receiver Amani Toomer standing in front of his locker, coupled with the same scene played out at the stall occupied by cornerback Will Peterson, provided a reminder that sometimes a win doesn't cure all.
Toomer seemed miffed that despite the Giants amassing their highest opening-day point total in 34 years, he did not partake in the fun. In fact, for the first time in more than six years, Toomer did not catch a pass in a game. His streak of 98 consecutive games with a reception came to an end, and he was not happy about it. Continue
Brandon Jacobs, the 266-pound rookie running back who has generated a groundswell of expectation, did nothing to quiet the hubbub yesterday in the Giants' 42-19 victory over the Cardinals.
Jacobs made more of an impact in his NFL debut than his six rushing attempts, 39 yards and one touchdown looked. The Giants Stadium crown roared when the Giants faced their first short-yardage situation, third-and-1 on their own 44-yard line on the game-opening drive. Jacobs, the biggest back in captivity, didn't disappoint. His first rushing attempt was a seven-yard burst, finished with a flourish when he slammed into safety Adrian Wilson, prompting Wilson to shove Jacobs as he got back to his feet. Continue
THE Giants scored 42 points in their season opener yesterday at Giants Stadium, and the fact quarterback Eli Manning was hardly a contributing factor may have been the best news to come out of the season-opening victory over the Cardinals.
For if the Giants are going to be a competitive team this year, perhaps even a playoff contender, it can't rely solely on Manning to lead them to that promised land. It's been said the Giants will live and die with the way Manning performs this year. But it's to the Giants' benefit, particularly their short-term success, if they keep finding ways to win in spite of Manning, like they did yesterday. Continue
All too often, special teams are an overlooked and underappreciated part of football — that is, until they decide a game. Yesterday, the Giants' special teams dominated their season-opener and turned it into a 42-19 rout of the Cardinals. With the Giants clinging to a 21-19 lead with 6:45 left in the third quarter, Willie Ponder returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. And after a Plaxico Burress TD and an Arizona punt, Chad Morton — who had talked about the Big Blue taking back a punt and a kickoff in the second half — made good on his prophecy with a 52-yard punt return for a TD.
"We talked about it at halftime: 'Let's be the first team on Opening Day to score on a kickoff return and a punt return.' The way the coaches were talking about it I expected it," said Morton, who signed on Sept. 3. "Guys here are just willing to work hard. They wanted it even more than Willie and I did. When you get guys to give effort like that, you're going to be successful." Continue
Eli Manning led the Giants to their highest point total in more than two seasons Sunday with his former mentor standing on the opposite sideline. It didn't hurt that his teammates chipped in with two special teams touchdowns. The second-year quarterback overcame a slow start to throw for 172 yards and two touchdowns as the New York Giants rallied to defeat the Arizona Cardinals and former teammate Kurt Warner, 42-19.
In the process, Manning allayed fears that his right elbow had any residual effects from a sprain suffered in a preseason game three weeks earlier. He threw for touchdowns of 20 yards to Jeremy Shockey and 13 yards to Plaxico Burress, and showed his arm was strong with a 44-yard pass to Burress that set up a 5-yard touchdown run by rookie Brandon Jacobs early in the third quarter. Continue
Giants should handle a Cardinals team that has Kurt "Happy feet" Warner as their starting QB. Giants will cause enough turnovers to win comfortably. I don't expect too much from Eli, lets see if there are enough balls to go around for Shockey, Burress,Toomer, and Tiki. Giants win 20-13.
AT 4:15 p.m. today, the honeymoon is over for Tom Coughlin. No more season passes. No more overlooking the obvious. Bill Parcells once said, "You are what your record says your are," and Coughlin enters today's season opener having suffered four consecutive losing seasons dating back to his tenure with the Jaguars. Do the math and he is 25-39 since the Jaguars were an NFL-best 14-2 in 1999 and went to the AFC Championship Game. But that's when it began to all fall apart. After going 7-9 in 2000 and 6-10 in 2001, Coughlin was fired in Jacksonville and took a year off before coming to the Giants, where a promising 5-2 start turned into a 6-10 disaster.
Certainly, Coughlin isn't solely to blame for the calamity of last season. Season-ending injuries to Omar Stoutmire, Shaun Williams, Keith Washington and Michael Strahan decimated the defense, while the baptism of Eli Manning as the franchise quarterback produced a seemingly endless stretch of growing pains. Continue
The catch phrase Tom Coughlin likes to use when describing Eli Manning's rookie season is that it was "painful, but priceless." The same could be said about his first year with the Giants, too. It was ugly at times, controversial throughout, and often defined by simmering chaos.
But that experience will prove to be priceless if this season turns out to be as good as the Giants hope. "I love this team," running back Tiki Barber said. "We've got a lot of talent. We've got a lot of cohesion. We don't have anything that's causing strife in the locker room. And we don't have any more distractions." "And I think we're talented," added defensive end Michael Strahan. "That makes it even more exciting." Continue
To those around the Giants who assess the talent, study the holdovers and welcome the newcomers, there's a palpable sense that this is a team on the come. Armed with what the franchise considers to be a budding star quarterback in Eli Manning, a bevy of weapons at his disposal, a younger, more aggressive defense and (finally) special teams units to be proud of, a case can be made that the pieces are in place, awaiting proper assembly.
Then there is the assessment of those outside the Giants organization. They scan the roster and see a kid quarterback who will probably be good some day but not yet. They see skill but no sizzle. Continue
A few months before training camp began this summer, Michael Strahan was working out with a friend in Manhattan. The friend, a doctor, was bench pressing about 225 pounds. Strahan, the professional football player, was barely lifting 135. "And I was embarrassed," Strahan said.
"And it hurt, man. So he said, 'You've got to get through that. Really it's more mental than anything else.' Once I got through that, all of a sudden I instantly got better." A few months later, the Giants' defensive end was back on the field, feeling as strong as ever. And tomorrow, exactly 10 months after undergoing surgery to repair the torn pectoral muscle he suffered last season, he'll be in the Giants' starting lineup on opening day. Continue
Most likely, Jeff Feagles will punt more than three times tomorrow when the Giants open their season against the Cardinals at Giants Stadium. If and when Feagles puts his right foot into his fourth punt of the game, he will set an NFL record. Feagles is three punts behind former Giant Sean Landeta for the most in league history. Landeta, recently cut by the Eagles, had 1,367 punts; Feagles is at 1,364.
"It will be nice to be in the record books, I guess, but it's not really a great big deal," Feagles said. "They're not going to stop the game or anything. I am a realist. They're not going to open up ESPN the next day with my story. It will get a little bit of recognition, that's probably about it. It will get swept under the rug pretty quickly." Continue
Tiki Barber will probably be wearing blue for the rest of his NFL career. And he will definitely be receiving a lot of green. Barber received a raise on the remaining two years of his old contract yesterday and has also signed a two-year extension that will keep him with the Giants through 2008, when he will be 32. Though he could conceivably play beyond that, Barber dropped some major hints yesterday that he will retire once his contract expires. "I'll be here for the rest of my career," Barber said following practice yesterday. Continue
The sacrifice of a sea son was needed so the future would be better than the present. That's what the Giants believed while in the midst of their embarrassing 1-8 finish last year. The losing was tolerable as long as the upside was Eli Manning. Losing is never easy to endure, but falling from 5-2 to 6-10 isn't as bruising if it made the franchise quarterback better. We'll start to learn if that's the case when Manning begins his first full season as the starting quarterback against the Cardinals Sunday at Giants Stadium.
Manning is not a rookie anymore, having started the final seven games of last season and winning only the season-finale against the Cowboys. But will 2005 be a sophomore jinx or a sophomore surge? The outcome could determine whether the Giants reach the playoffs for the first time since 2002. Continue
Most everyone around the Giants took notice when the NFL schedule was announced and they learned that their season opener would take place on Sept. 11, four years after the terrorist attacks. To commemorate the memory of those who lost their lives, the Giants will hold special pregame and halftime ceremonies Sunday as they face the Cardinals at Giants Stadium. "It's going to be emotional, for sure," running back Tiki Barber said. "It will be understated, but it's definitely worth remembering. Even though that day is long gone now, it's not something we're not going to forget." Continue
For one full season, the Giants watched, filmed and studied every throw Kurt Warner made. Each screen pass, seam pass, go-route. They heard the way he barked out his cadence, measured the velocity of his throws and gauged the spin of the football as it dropped into the hands of a receiver. And also how he had a glaring tendency to hold on to the ball in the pocket for so long that the protection eventually crumbled around him.
"I think we're comfortable with him," safety Gibril Wilson said. "We know him, so to speak. We were with him for a whole year. We know certain stuff he does well, certain stuff he doesn't do so well. Hopefully on Sunday all those things are still there and we can take advantage of it." Continue
After rehabilitating his sprained right elbow the past three weeks and chipping in with the relief efforts in his home state of Louisiana over the weekend, Eli Manning turned his attention yesterday to getting ready for Sunday's season opener against the Arizona Cardinals.
Manning, who injured his elbow in a preseason game on Aug.20, guided the first-team offense in practice - his first since getting injured - and remains on schedule to do the same when the Giants line up for real in five days. Manning threw about "71 or 72" passes, according to Tom Coughlin, who said he was "pleased with the day. "He threw the ball well, he was sharp with it, quick with his movements," Coughlin said. Continue
Cornerback Will Peterson hoped that yesterday's practice would be a major step forward in convincing himself and the Giants that he is ready to play Sunday against the Cardinals. Peterson missed the last two preseason games after spraining the medial collateral ligament in his left knee on Aug. 20. "I want to prove to them and prove to myself, gain that confidence back that's it's a good knee, that I can cut," Peterson said, "because if you're a corner and you can't cut in the NFL, you're pretty much toast. None of us want that."
Peterson was able to not only work during the individual period but also take a few snaps in the team drills.
"I feel better about possibly playing," Peterson said. "There's obviously work to do, but I feel like being out there gave me a chance to play this weekend. I think by Sunday I'll be ready. In my mind, I'm going to play Sunday." Continue
There are always challenges and the one that Eli Manning confronts today will be unlike any he's faced before. As the Giants take the field for their first practice with the gameplan in place for Sunday's regular-season opener against the Cardinals, Manning must be sound of body. That means he needs to show that his sprained right elbow has healed and he can carry a full load. That might be the easy part. Ensuring that his mind is in the right place could prove to be even more difficult than the physical demands. Continue
The Giants-Saints game in Week 2 that was moved to Giants Stadium because of Hurricane Katrina will be played on Monday night, Sept. 19. It will kick off at 7:30 p.m. The game will be shown by ABC and ESPN. For the first 90 minutes it will be broadcast nationally on ABC. At 9 p.m., ABC will switch nationally to its regularly scheduled Monday Night Football game - Washington at Dallas.
The Giants-Saints game will be seen in its entirety on ABC in New Orleans and New York. The rest of the nation will be able to watch the remainder of the game on ESPN. In New York and New Orleans, ABC will show the rest of the Washington-Dallas game after Giants-Saints. Ticket information is expected to be announced today. A portion of the gate receipts are expected to go the hurricane relief fund. (Daily News)
There will be no babying Eli Manning's right elbow when he returns to practice tomorrow. He has been cautious with it for two weeks. He can't afford to be cautious anymore. That was the word late last week from Tom Coughlin, who said he has no plans to slowly work his franchise quarterback back into his offense. There are only four practices left before the Giants open the season against the Arizona Cardinals Sunday. Manning will get all the work his sprained elbow can take.
"We'll have a count in the back of our head about how many throws per day, but I don't see it as any build up," Coughlin said. "I mean, we've got to go. We have to get ready." Manning, who spent Saturday with his brother, Peyton, in Baton Rouge, La., delivering supplies and visiting shelters to help the Red Cross' hurricane relief effort, will have to get ready quickly, considering he's done nothing but throw on the sidelines since he was injured Aug. 20. He threw 60 passes for the team doctor in Foxboro Thursday night a few hours before the Giants wrapped up their preseason by beating the Patriots, 27-3. Continue
It takes more than one year for a new coach to shape the roster to where it is a perfectly molded representation of what he wants in a team. As the Giants today begin their heavy-duty preparation for the regular-season opener Sunday, they resemble more of what coach Tom Coughlin has said he's all about.
The squad was pared down to 53 this weekend and yesterday the Giants made a few adjustments and tweaks, with more possibly to follow in the coming days and weeks. Essentially, though, these are the Giants. A full 30 percent of the roster (16 players) is new, with eight rookies making the cut. Fringe veterans were let go to make way for more aggressive youngsters eager to make an impression on special teams. Continue
The Giants didn't draft him. No one did. And Antonio Pierce won't let anyone forget it. Not the Redskins, the team that gave him a shot. Not the Giants, the team that opened the vault for him in free agency. Not any of the opponents on the Giants' schedule, all of whom may feel the wrath of a player who aims to transform the slight he feels into punishment on the field.
"It's on my mind 24-7," Pierce said. In this regard, Pierce - the newest Giants linebacker - sounds an awful lot like Jessie Armstead, a former Giants linebacker who was constantly fueled by the doubts of others. Pierce, 26, and Armstead, 34, share the same Oct. 26 birthday, they were teammates for two years in Washington and when the Giants came calling, it was Armstead who advised Pierce to accept the offer. Continue
Linebacker Kevin Lewis and quarterback Jesse Palmer were among 18 players released by the New York Giants on Saturday. The Giants also signed veteran running back and returnman Chad Morton, who was signed by the New England Patriots in June and placed on the physically unable to perform list in late July before being released last Tuesday.
Lewis, in his sixth year, started all 16 games at middle linebacker last season for the Giants and finished second on the team with 86 tackles. He was replaced in the middle during training camp by Antonio Pierce, an offseason acquisition from Washington. Continue
With the New Orleans Saints having been forced from their city by Hurricane Katrina, the Meadowlands will become their first home away from home. Their home opener against the Giants, originally scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 18 at the now unusable Louisiana Superdome, was officially switched to Giants Stadium yesterday by the NFL. The game most likely will be played on Monday night, Sept. 19, with portions of the gate proceeds going to Hurricane Katrina relief.
"There are many reasons for this decision," commissioner Paul Tagliabue said in a statement, "including recognizing that the overwhelming priority for public and private resources in Louisiana and the Gulf Coast region in the weeks ahead must be the essential needs of the public and the restoration of the area's infrastructure. Continue
The NFL is giving serious consideration to moving the Giants-Saints game the second week of the season to Giants Stadium as a result of the damage done to New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina. NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue admitted yesterday the league believes the Saints may be unable to play at home this season.
George Zoffinger, the president and CEO of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, sent a letter to Tagliabue and Giants vice president John Mara on Wednesday offering Giants Stadium on Monday night, Sept. 19, for the Giants-Saints game. The game is scheduled for Sept. 18 at the Superdome. Continue
The best news for the Giants last night was not that they defeated a facsimile of the Super Bowl champion Patriots 27-3 at Gillette Stadium to close out the preseason, but what took place prior to kickoff. That's when Eli Manning threw about 60 passes for the most extensive test of his sprained right elbow. Manning reported no soreness, was examined and received a clean bill of health from team physician Dr. Russell Warren, allowing Manning to declare himself ready for the regular season.
"I think it will be fine by next week," Manning said. "I think there won't be any problem with it." The plan is for Manning to throw again today, take Saturday off, throw again on Sunday, take Monday off and then participate fully in practice on Tuesday, when the heavy-duty preparation for the Sept. 11 opener against the Cardinals is put in place. Continue
There's a good chance that upwards of 90 percent of the Giants roster is set, and that little that takes place tonight in the preseason finale against the Patriots at Gillette Stadium will change who stays and who goes. But for those players on the bubble, this opportunity is all they have left. "I know I can do it," quarterback Jared Lorenzen, a bubble-sitter, said. "It's just going out and proving it." Continue
The final preseason game is supposed to be about bottom-of-the-roster players. It is supposed to be a showcase for unknowns, and the last chance for the soon-to-be unemployed. It's safe to say Shaun Williams never expected to be in that group.
Yet if he plays tonight when the Giants wrap up their preseason in New England - he was listed as "questionable" yesterday with an impacted wisdom tooth - he might be playing for his NFL career. The Giants' long-time starting safety was put on notice on the first day of training camp that his roster spot was in jeopardy, and he has not felt safe for a single day since. Continue
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