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The Giants officially announced the retirement of special teams coordinator Mike Sweatman and the promotion of his former assistant, Tom Quinn. Quinn's new assistant will be Thomas McGaughey, who spent the last two seasons in the same position with the Denver Broncos.
The New York Giants have hired Chris Palmer as their quarterbacks coach, giving Eli Manning a new mentor for 2007.The highly-respected Palmer served last year as the Dallas Cowboys' quarterbacks coach. He was granted permission last week to meet with Giants' officials, and his addition to Tom Coughlin's staff will be officially announced early in the week.
Palmer also worked for Coughlin in 1997-98, as quarterbacks coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars and the two have remained close friends. Ostensibly, Palmer replaces Kevin Gilbride, who was promoted to offensive coordinator three weeks ago. The Giants dismissed offensive coordinator John Hufnagel with one week remaining in the regular season. Manning will join a long list of first-round quarterbacks who have worked with Palmer during his long tenure in the league. Some of the others include Drew Bledsoe, Tim Couch and David Carr. In addition, Palmer was instrumental in the development of Mark Brunell in Jacksonville. Continue
Twenty years ago this past Thursday, the Pasadena sun painted an indelible mark on not just a team but on a group of young men. When Super Bowl XXI ended with ol' Blue Eyes serenading Big Blue with "New York, New York," those giddy boys of winter became teammates forever. Go ahead. Call any of the '86 Giants. From Harry Carson to Herb Welch, they remember the year and the moment because, in a sense, they never stopped feeling it.
"I only played with the Giants for four years and compared to the 20 years that passed, it only seems like a drop in the bucket," said the team's right guard, Chris Godfrey. "But we go through life together in a sense and it's because we had those strong relationships forged together. That moment, frozen in time 20 years ago, has cemented us all." Continue
It's a long way from fourth-and-17, the most famous play in the Giants' run to the Super Bowl championship 20 years ago, to the indignity of sleeping nights on a park bench next to the Cumberland River. Sadly, it took Bobby Johnson only three years to get there. He blames no one but himself. He caught the last-minute sideline pass from Phil Simms in Minnesota that led to the winning field goal and convinced the Giants they were good enough to win Super Bowl XXI. "Had it not been for that combination of Simms to Bobby Johnson, I might not be wearing a Super Bowl ring," Hall of Fame linebacker Harry Carson says.
But instead of using that catch as the impetus to build a career he hoped would last as long as he could run, Johnson was gone from the NFL the next summer and soon had no money and was trying to satisfy his cocaine addiction. Continue
The Giants might have a surprise waiting for them when their offseason program begins on March 19: Plaxico Burress might be there. That's what Eli Manning is expecting after talking with his enigmatic receiver, who has skipped the program in both of his years as a Giant so he could work out at the University of Miami.
"I've talked to Plaxico a few times and it sounds like he might be here a little bit more this offseason," Manning said yesterday. "We've just got to see as that approaches."
Manning wasn't as sure about Jeremy Shockey, another regular absentee, but the quarterback was hopeful, saying he had to check with his tight end "to see what his plans are." Continue
Eli Manning was on the field at the RCA Dome on Sunday. He was happy for his big brother, who finally got to a Super Bowl. But the Giants quarterback felt something else, the same thing he'll feel next week, when he will be in Miami attending NFL events but not preparing for the Super Bowl.
"I'm going to enjoy the time and when it comes time for next year I'll know what that feeling is. I'll know that I don't want to be shaking hands and [having] people come congratulate me about Peyton and what he's doing," Eli Manning said on a conference call Thursday. "I want to be on the other side and not have to be down in Miami going to events and things like that. I want to be in the hotel studying film and getting ready to play for a championship. I think I'm going to enjoy it, just because I'm proud of him and I support him." Continue
Bill Parcells e-mailed goodbye to Jerry Jones and the Cowboys and retired again yesterday, meaning there will be a Tuna lurking off the shores of East Rutherford if and when Tom Coughlin fails to survive the 2007 season. I offer this advice for the New York football Giants: If you are thinking about a longlost reunion, Fugghedaboutit!
Oh sure, there will be loads of sentiment for the romantic notion of Parcells completing the circle by coming back to save the franchise he took to Super Bowl XXI and XXV championships. What could possibly be better than the grand old sight of our beloved Jersey Guy being treated to one Gatorade bath after the next on his way to a third Super Bowl championship? It's a pipe dream. Continue
The Giants have been getting headaches from Jim Johnson's blitz-happy Philadelphia Eagles defense for most of the last decade. Now they'll finally have a chance to show the Eagles how it feels.
Steve Spagnuolo, the Eagles' linebackers coach since 2004 and one of Johnson's top disciples for the last eight seasons, was named the Giants' new defensive coordinator yesterday. He replaced Tim Lewis, who was fired two weeks ago, and he vowed to try and revive the Giants' sagging defense by using Johnson's scheme. Continue
Steve Spagnuolo, most recently the linebackers coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, is the next defensive coordinator of the New York Giants. He replaces Tim Lewis, who was fired by Giants head coach Tom Coughlin at the end of the regular season.
Spagnuolo has been with the Eagles since 1999, first as a defensive quality control assistant. In 2001, he started coaching the team's safeties and eventually took over the entire defensive backfield. He became the linebackers coach three seasons ago, working for Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson. Spagnuolo's coaching career includes 15 seasons as a college assistant as well. (ESPN)
Jerry Reese landed in Houston on Wednesday, his first full day as the Giants' general manager. His oldest friend with the Giants, Jeremiah Davis, was waiting to pick up Reese. It was fitting. Reese was a $400-a-month graduate assistant at his alma mater, the University of Tennessee-Martin, and slept on Davis' couch when Davis was the school's secondary coach and recruiting coordinator. Davis convinced Reese to leave UT-Martin eight years later and become, like Davis, a college scout for the Giants.
Fast forward 12 years, and Davis was picking up his new boss at the airport so the two could watch practices for the East-West Shrine Game. "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you," Reese said to Davis. "No, no," Davis said with his typical humility. "I'm a boiler-room guy. You're a boardroom guy. I don't get any of the credit." Continue
Kevin Gilbride has seen enough of Eli Manning in three seasons as his quarterbacks coach to come to this decision: In 2007, he's going to let Manning air it out. That's what he promised yesterday when he was officially introduced as the Giants' new offensive coordinator. Gilbride was not happy with the results of the Giants' downfield passing attack under former offensive coordinator John Hufnagel. And he said there's too much big-play potential on the Giants' offense to let it all go to waste.
"I certainly think that was a component that was missing this year," Gilbride said. "If you look at our total yardage per game and our yardage per attempt, we were significantly down. When you're running the ball as well as we have run it, it's going to give you some opportunities. I'm not so sure we took advantage of all those opportunities. We have to have a willingness to go down the field." Continue
Jerry Reese, the new Giants general manager, hasn't tried to talk Tiki Barber out of retirement yet, but the running back has already given his answer: "Thanks, but no thanks." Barber made it clear that, while he will be happy to talk to Reese, he has absolutely no intention of unretiring. The still-retired rusher delivered that message on his Sirius NFL radio show, "The Barber Shop" on Tuesday night, and he will likely deliver it to Reese again sometime in the next few weeks.
"(Reese) said this to me maybe five or six times along the line: 'Tiki, I don't know if they're going to give me this job but if they do, I need to talk to you,'" Barber said on his show. "So I'm answering Jerry's question and everybody else's questions. He said the percentage is probably low. Well, Jerry, I can tell you, I'm not coming out of retirement but I appreciate the offer." Continue
Jerry Reese has the perfect replacement in mind for the now-retired Tiki Barber: Tiki Barber. Though he admits he "thinks the percentage is probably low," the Giants' new GM refused to close the door completely on Barber's 10-year career and plans to ask him if he will consider playing for at least one more season.
In an interview that will be broadcast on YES Network's This Week In Football tonight at 10, Reese said he'll have that conversation because "there's always a chance."
"Who knows?" Reese said. "Tiki might say at some point, 'You know what? I want to come back,' after he rests and gets his body healed up. You never know until you talk to him. Continue
When Jerry Reese was named Giants general manager on Monday, he was also handed a coach he didn't hire and a quarterback he didn't draft. But he's not second-guessing either decision. In fact, had he been the Giants' GM at the time, he said he would've traded for Eli Manning and retained Tom Coughlin, too.
Reese said yesterday that he was "very supportive" of the Giants' decision last week to bring back Coughlin for at least one more season, and said, "I would've done the same thing" if he had the opportunity to trade for Manning in 2004. He said he's very confident that Manning is "a guy who can take you to a different level." As for Coughlin, he said, "I'm looking forward to Tom being here a long time." Continue
The power brokers of the Giants sat shoulder-to-shoulder - the co-owners, retired general manager Ernie Accorsi and his successor, Jerry Reese. Off to the side, all dressed up, stood Tom Coughlin. Fittingly, the only athletic equipment in view was a shiny blue football helmet, placed on the table on the dais. Not just any helmet. Eli Manning's helmet. Once again, the stark reminder: No matter the coach or the general manager, it's Manning's ball, and the rise and fall of the franchise continues to rest on his right arm.
Yesterday was set aside to herald the start of the Jerry Reese Era, an inspiring rags-to-riches tale of a kid from rural Tennessee who now runs the Giants. Coming off a turbulent 8-8 season, with a coach in place who must win in 2007 or face the consequence many felt he deserved this time around, with a gaping hole created by the departure of Tiki Barber, Reese has plenty on his plate. Asked his first priority for making the Giants a real contender, he never hesitated with his response. Continue
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It was the latest in a series of coaching performances that will one day lead him to the Hall of Fame. Bill Belichick, the most brilliant mind in today's game and maybe the history of the sport, concocted a masterful game plan to vanquish the 14-2 Chargers on Sunday and put the Patriots one step away from playing in their fourth Super Bowl in the last six years.
The Belichick-Tom Brady combination has worked wonders for the NFL's latest dynasty, and it's anyone's guess how many Super Bowls they'll collect before their time together runs out. It feels as if they'll go on for years.But lately the question has been raised about just how much longer they will be a tandem. Specifically, how much longer Belichick, 54, plans to remain with the Patriots. They are only whispers now, but in a league where whispers often become reality, they can't be dismissed out of hand. And the latest whispers are about exactly when Belichick's contract expires, and that he might one day aspire to coach the Giants, the team he helped build into Super Bowl champions with his defensive genius. That can't help but make you wonder "what if." Continue
It is not the splash to create headlines or a move that will reverberate around the NFL and make other teams take notice, but the Giants today will introduce Jerry Reese as their new senior vice-president and general manager at a Giants Stadium press conference, and the organization is not viewing this promotion as a gamble.
Reese, the team's director of player personnel, has run the NFL Draft for the Giants since the 2003 season and has been with the club since 1994, when he was hired as a scout. Reese, 42, rose quickly through the ranks. A few years ago, he was labeled "a rising star" by GM Ernie Accorsi, who, after 35 years in the NFL, yesterday officially retired. Accorsi also described Reese as "a brilliant young man" and overwhelmingly endorsed him to be his successor. Continue
Giants superstar Michael Strahan last night angrily tried to confront the ex-wife who sacked him for $15 million in a divorce settlement, as he dropped off their kids at her New Jersey mansion, sources told The Post. Montclair cops had to be called to Jean Strahan's ritzy home after the hulking Giant went ballistic and angrily demanded to see his former spouse - all while the pair's 2-year-old twin daughters were in the back of his luxury SUV, the sources said.
"If Jean's not here in five minutes, there's gonna be trouble," the defensive end warned Jean Strahan's live-in carpenter in the driveway of her home, the sources said.
Strahan seethed as he sat in his black Cadillac Escalade - with a gorgeous gal pal in the front seat beside him, and the little girls in the back - and was told by the carpenter that Jean was on an errand. The worker offered to bring the children into the house after their custody visit with their dad, the sources said.
"I'm not giving them to you. It has to be the nanny," Strahan said.
"The nanny's off on Sunday. You know that," the carpenter said.
"I paid for the nanny. Where is she?" Strahan reportedly said before warning of "trouble" if Jean didn't get home soon.
Strahan then jumped out of the vehicle - apparently violating a custody agreement - and started arguing more with the man, sources said. The kids were taken inside, and Strahan finally drove off - but only circled the block. Continue
Three seasons have passed since Draft Day 2004, when Ernie Accorsi anointed Eli Manning the savior of then-CEO John Mara's "franchise in trouble." In those three years, Manning has thrown 54 touchdowns and 44 interceptions, and won 20 games while losing 21. Three years ago, Tom Coughlin was convinced that Manning would eventually be "very special," and Accorsi insisted that the young QB had a chance to be "great." Nothing in the quarterback's 41 starts has convinced them that they were wrong.
Outside the organization, however, Manning has developed legions of devoted doubters, who shake their heads and roll their eyes at every over- and under-thrown pass. They wonder, after three seasons, why he sometimes pales in comparison to Ben Roethlisberger and Philip Rivers - the other two quarterback stars from his same draft class. Continue
Scratch Dom Capers off the list of new defensive coordinators for the Giants. Capers was surely a top candidate to replace fired Tim Lewis, but he's no longer on the market. The Dolphins don't even have a new head coach yet to replace Nick Saban, but they made the rare move of locking up Capers as their defensive coordinator, making him the highest paid assistant in the NFL. Continue
Giants sack king Michael Strahan's ex-wife walked away with more than half of his fortune, his "dream house," luxury SUV and a fat lump-sum payout yesterday after a judge rejected his bid to toss their prenuptial agreement.
Jean Strahan - who was worth $250,000 when she married the football star in 1999 - was awarded over $15 million in all, court papers revealed. The decision was a stinging defeat for Michael Strahan who had argued his ex-wife was entitled to no more than $7 million of his $23 million fortune. Continue
The Giants are closing in on naming Jerry Reese general manager, perhaps as early as next week. Reese, the Giants' director of player personnel, is the leading in-house candidate to replace Ernie Accorsi, whose retirement becomes official Monday.Team president John Mara and treasurer Jonathan Tisch, the two leading decision-makers for the organization, spent much of this week settling on Tom Coughlin's status, and they ultimately signed Coughlin to a one-year extension Wednesday. Now they can turn their attention to the front office.
One player who requested anonymity told Newsday that Reese is getting the GM job, and a person familiar with the decision-makers' thinking said there are no indications that the organization is looking for any other candidates. Continue
The ownership of the Giants stressed the desire for stability and continuity as reasons for retaining Tom Coughlin, but there are plenty of changes ahead for his coaching staff. The Giants are in the market for a new defensive coordinator after Tim Lewis was fired yesterday, as expected, just as offensive coordinator John Hufnagel was bounced from his role with one game remaining in the regular season.
Hufnagel is no longer with the organization, and a purging of the staff is in the works. Coughlin's background and pedigree is offense, meaning his top defensive assistant is his most important lieutenant. Lewis three years ago was Coughlin's first hire, but he did not make it into a fourth season with the Giants, as the powers that be were unhappy with the performance of the defense, and Coughlin could not save Lewis from taking the fall. Continue
The Giants' road to Super Bowl XLII likely will include a trip overseas. The NFL is expected to announce in a few weeks that the Giants' regular-season game against the Miami Dolphins in 2007 will be played at London's Wembley Stadium. The Giants would be the visiting team in that game.
Earlier this week, the NFL announced that six teams - Buffalo, Kansas City, Miami, New Orleans, San Francisco and Seattle - were in the running to be the home team for the league's inaugural overseas, regular-season game, which would be played in England or Germany. Every team in the league is expected to play at least one game outside the U.S. during the next 16years.
According to one report yesterday, the NFL will announce next week that the game will be played in London. That report also said it's possible that the Bills will be the road team. But the Giants obviously have a higher profile than the Bills, and sponsors of the game in England reportedly have been pushing for the Giants for more than a year. (Daily News)
Tim Lewis was fired as the New York Giants' defensive coordinator on Thursday, a move that will give embattled coach Tom Coughlin two new top assistants in a likely make-or-break season. The move came just a day after management gave the 60-year-old Coughlin a lukewarm one-year contract extension through 2008. His charge: make the Giants more than simply a playoff team. Neither Lewis, who interviewed for the vacant head coaching job in Miami on Wednesday, nor Coughlin was immediately available for comment.
Kevin Gilbride, who took over the play-calling after offensive coordinator John Hufnagel was relieved on Christmas Day, is the favorite to run the offense next season. There have been reports that Miami defensive coordinator Dom Capers, who worked with Coughlin in Jacksonville, will run the defense if he is not promoted to the top job with the Dolphins. Continue
The next general manager of the Giants will not have a choice about who coaches the team in 2007, which makes it even more likely that the top in-house candidate, Jerry Reese, will get the job. Reese, the Giants' director of player personnel, is still the favorite to succeed Ernie Accorsi as the team's GM, even though a decision on the position won't be made until next week. Co-owner John Mara and team treasurer Jonathan Tisch are still considering outside candidates, but with New England's Scott Pioli out of the running, the outside talent pool is thin.
"We still have some more work to do on the general manager issue," Mara said. "We still have more discussions we have to have before we reach a final decision." The delay in that decision, according to sources, was mostly because Mara and Tisch wanted to settle Coughlin's status first, and they also wanted to wait to talk to Pioli. It was a setback to the search when the Patriots executive declined the Giants' request to interview him earlier this week. Continue
BRINGING Tom Coughlin back for One Last Stand at a time when the Giants need a new voice and a new leader is the boardroom equivalent of Joe Pisarcik turning to hand off and dropping the ball on the ground and Herm Edwards scooping it up and taking it to the house. The Fumble, 29 years later.
Somehow, after a 25-25 record over three seasons, after two first-round playoff losses, after all the dysfunction and discontent and discipline problems on the field and off, all his team's talking the talk and then limping the limp, Coughlin starts talking to his owners about his plan to get to his first Super Bowl and the owners hyperventilate and decide that stability is far more important than mediocrity. Somehow, they extend the coach's contract one more year in the Big Blue belief that his vision of a better tomorrow is a lot less blurry than it turned out to be this season. Continue
During two days of discussions on the Giants' future, president John Mara, treasurer Jonathan Tisch and coach Tom Coughlin agreed on one major point. If Eli Manning's play does not improve next season, there might not be many offseason chats between the execs and the coach in 2008.
"Obviously, [Manning] was a major part of our discussions," Mara said. "Eli needs to play more consistently. He would be the first one to admit that. Something that I have been concerned about is his play over the second half of the season. There is nobody in this building that doubts his ability and that feels like he is not the guy to lead us to where we want to get." Continue
Tom Coughlin is back, having received a one-year extension and a vote of confidence from Giants owners John Mara and Jonathan Tisch today. Coughlin is now under contract through 2008. "If we became convinced that someone in our organization wasn't capable of doing his job, we'd pull the plug. That wasn't the case here," Mara said on a conference call. "We believe in Tom and we believe we can win with him."
Coughlin was scheduled to hold his own conference call at 1 p.m., when he likely will announce the shuffling of his staff, most likely the dismissal of defensive coordinator Tim Lewis.
Mara and Tisch met with Coughlin several times over the past two days and clearly liked what they heard. They also dismissed reports that the Giants players had tuned out Coughlin. Continue
Now that Tom Coughlin has apparently saved his job, he must repair his fractured relationship with his players. The healing process from three years of turmoil starts today, when the Giants are expected to announce Coughlin has agreed to a one-year extension and Jerry Reese has been promoted to general manager.
Coughlin is one of only five coaches to make the playoffs in each of the last two seasons and he's the first Giants coach to get there in back-to-back seasons since Bill Parcells 16 years ago. If that was all he was judged on in the postseason evaluation with his bosses on Monday, then his job status never would have been an issue. But there is discontent and hard feelings in the organization with the rigid and harsh ways he deals with his players and conducts his business. Continue
Tom Coughlin hasn't been fired as the head coach of the Giants, but the team yesterday did not confirm he'll be back, either. The clock continues to tick as the intrigue builds. The Giants initially gave word they were hopeful an afternoon announcement would clear up the situation, but that never materialized. Pat Hanlon, the vice president of communications, said ownership remains deeply involved in "thorough review and discussions."
Logic indicates if Coughlin was getting the boot it would have already happened, as NFL teams with head-coaching openings are already interviewing and hiring replacements. Any delay would hurt the Giants' chances of jumping into the fray and finding their man. Continue
Cowboys coach Bill Parcells was so angry about reports that he had expressed interest in the Giants GM job that he called team co-owner John Mara yesterday to put out the fire. "There is absolutely nothing to it," Parcells said from Dallas. "Absolutely nothing. There has been no contact, either directly or through an intermediary. Whoever said it is a liar." Parcells is trying to decide whether to return for a fifth season as the Cowboys coach, but he's not ready to make that decision so soon after Dallas' crushing wild-card loss to the Seahawks last weekend. Continue
Phil Simms weighed in strongly yesterday in support of embattled Giants coach Tom Coughlin and also expressed disgust with the behavior of some in his former team's locker room. On a CBS conference call with fellow analyst Dan Dierdorf, Simms said he "can't imagine the Giants changing and going in a whole other direction" and added he has been "surprised" at what he has seen and heard.
"He stands for discipline, he's organized, all the things that make a team successful, [are] part of his makeup and character. But it's not gone that way for the Giants. The culture he walked into, or the environment, he couldn't overcome it. Continue
The New York Giants are likely to retain embattled head coach Tom Coughlin, but a conference call originally scheduled for Tuesday afternoon to discuss his status was postponed as organizational meetings continued.
Coughlin will enter the final year of his contract in 2007 at a salary of $3 million, but speculation is that Giants ownership will extend his deal by at least one year to keep the veteran coach from being a lame duck. A source close to Coughlin told ESPN.com on Tuesday that he is "cautiously optimistic" the coach will be retained and that his contract will be extended. Continue
According to Mike and the Mad Dog they believe Coughlin will get a one year extension, and that Jerry Reese will become the GM. This is not a done deal and if it's true expect major turnover of Coughlin's staff.
Could the Giants' general manager search end with a Tuna surprise? The stage was set for that longshot scenario yesterday when Scott Pioli turned down a chance to be the next GM of the Giants, and hours later a report surfaced that Bill Parcells was interested in the job. Parcells, of course, is still the coach of the Cowboys, but he has not decided whether he wants to coach again next year.
The juicy possibility of Parcells finishing off his career in the front office of the organization where his head coaching career began was first reported last night on NFL.com. But according to another report, Parcells had already expressed his interests to the Giants but been rebuffed. A source told the Daily News Parcells' name had been discussed by the Giants' owners, but said his return is not likely to happen. Continue
As Giants ownership - John Mara and Steve Tisch - ponders the lunacy of a lame duck season with Underground Tom Coughlin, has lost too many of the fans and too many of the players, it should remind itself that its constituency desperately wants a return to the Win At All Costs philosophy that once was part of the culture around Giants Stadium. I come to it today with a new slogan: Chin At All Costs.
If Charlie Weis is determined to stay in South Bend, Bill Cowher is easily the best man for the job.
Mara and Tisch should not take Cowher, who retired last week as coach of the Steelers after 15 seasons of .619 winning football, at his word. They all say they want to spend more time with their family ... until somebody outside the family throws the big money at them. If what Cowher says is true about not being burned out, then his football addiction will get the best of him before too long, before next season, when his contract with the Steelers expires. Continue
There were no long goodbyes from Tom Coughlin yesterday. And though his players were busy cleaning out their lockers, the coach's office remained intact. In fact, things were so normal around Giants Stadium that Coughlin's final speech to his team was a short one. And it ended with these hopeful words: "I'll see you in March."
Of course, it remains to be seen whether Coughlin will see any of his players again at all, after a disappointing 8-8 season ended Sunday with a 23-20 loss to the Eagles in the first round of the playoffs. Several organizational sources said it appeared that co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch were leaning toward bringing their embattled coach back for one more year, but no official announcement was made. Continue
As Tiki Barber finished talking to the media yesterday, Brandon Jacobs made his way through the cameras and notebooks to deliver a hug and goodbye to the man who has served as his mentor in the last two seasons. Now, it's time to see what Jacobs has learned from Barber. With the retirement of No. 21, the Giants offense will have a different look next year, and Jacobs believes he is the guy to replace Barber in the backfield.
"There's not any doubt in my mind that the running back of the future of this Giants team is standing right here in front of my locker," Jacobs said as he packed up his things.
The Giants used Jacobs primarily as a short-yardage back the last two years. The bruising 6-foot-4, 264-pounder usually ran over defenders instead of around them. He finished this season with 423 yards rushing on 96 carries and nine touchdowns. Continue
Jay Feely knows Tom Coughlin is a disciplinarian who can be way too hard on his players. But the Giants' kicker also is convinced that his teammates didn't make things very easy on their coach. Feely said the Giants' biggest problem this season wasn't Coughlin, it was selfish players unwilling to buy into Coughlin's program. And that, Feely said, is why the Giants "teetered on the brink and weren't really as committed to each other as you need to be to be a championship team.
"Coach Coughlin is a disciplinarian and I think sometimes that rubs players the wrong way," Feely said yesterday. "If you don't have players who will put their own egos aside and commit to a coach even when he's not necessarily that touchy-feely type guy, then that can create an abrasive attitude. Continue
Tom Coughlin's tenure as head coach of the Giants could be days or even hours away from coming to an embarrassing end, one-year shy of fulfilling his four-year contract and not a moment too soon for many Big Blue loyalists.
As the Giants yesterday packed up and headed their separate ways after an 8-8 regular season and a 23-20 NFC wild-card playoff loss to the Eagles, the most likely scenario for what happens next might sound absurd but figures to come true: Coughlin returns.
Co-owner John Mara isn't talking, but in a day or two and possibly as early as this afternoon, he will reveal the direction of a franchise that dreamed the Super Bowl dream - and talked about it plenty - but crashed to a nightmarish 2-7 record after mid-season. Continue
Patriots' VP of Player Personnel Scott Pioli turned down an interview offer for Giants' GM position. I sure hope they do not stay in-house, Giants need a fresh perspective and honest evaluation.
Tom Coughlin stood helplessly and sadly as he watched David Akers boot the Giants' season and perhaps his chaotic three-year tenure as their coach through the uprights as the last three seconds ticked off the clock. He handed his headset to an aide and made what Giants management should make sure is his final long walk off the field as their coach. His situation will be clarified in the next few days by Giants co-owner John Mara. Coughlin either will be fired, given a one-year or multiyear extension or told that if he wants to stay, he must coach out the last year of his deal in 2007.
Coughlin must go. He has lost the locker room. Too many players have tuned him out. He has taken this team as far as he can. "I'll have something to say during the week, but not right now," Mara said as he exited the locker room after the Giants' 23-20 loss to the Eagles. "Do you think you can wait that long?" Continue
The Giants did not go quietly last night, but they did go, and now comes the moment of decision. Where does the franchise go from here? Does Tom Coughlin stay or go after the Giants battled long and hard but, as usual, not always well or smart and came up short in a 23-20 loss to the Eagles in an NFC wild card game at Lincoln Financial Field? The Giants, trailing 20-10 after three quarters, put a scare in the favored Birds but ultimately could not put them out. Continue
Hopefully, the words retiring running back Tiki Barber left with Eli Manning will resonate with the Giants quarterback throughout what is an important off-season. It might be the difference in whether Manning will ever achieve the lofty expectations the franchise and its fans have of him.
"I've told him, 'Use your voice,' " Barber said in the aftermath of the Giants' 23-20 wild-card loss to the Eagles yesterday at the Linc. "It doesn't have to be loud and screaming and demeaning. But use your voice and tell people what you feel and what you need. And be honest about it. They may dislike you sometimes, but if you're honest they can never fault you." Continue
Talk about a tale of two performances. A year ago, during the Giants' embarrassing 23-0 shutout loss to Carolina, wide receiver Plaxico Burress was a nonfactor in Big Blue's offense. Literally. Burress caught exactly zero passes as the Panthers rolled in the Swamp. Yesterday, there was Burress hauling in a 29-yard pass from Eli Manning on the Giants' first play from scrimmage. There was Burress finishing that opening drive with a 17-yard score and absolutely no Eagle defending him. And finally, there was Burress catching an 11-yard Manning toss to tie the game at 20 with just over five minutes left. Continue
After another dismal day with the Giants, the TV studio must look pretty good to Tiki Barber. Barber's final game as a Giant went the same way many have in the past few years. He played well, but it wasn't enough for a Giants victory. The 31-year-old running back ran for 137 yards on 26 carries in the Giants' 23-20 loss to the Eagles in an NFC wild-card game yesterday at Lincoln Financial Field.
Barber begins life as a retiree today when he will clean out his Giants Stadium locker for the final time. He'll play one more football game - next month's Pro Bowl - but his life as a professional athlete is now over. He'll trade in the stadium lights for studio lights and a facemask for makeup.
After the game, Barber spent time with his family, signed some autographs and was in good spirits. His trademark smile was on display despite the fact that his career in shoulder pads has come to an end. Continue
Will Coughlin be fired?
Who do you want to replace him?
Who will be the new GM?
Can Brandon Jacobs replace Tiki Barber?
Is Burress coming back or will they trade him straight up for Joey Porter?
Will Eli be run out of town if Phillip Rivers wins a Super Bowl?
and many more I am sure.
The snap was there, the hold was good and the kick was perfect. David Akers hit a 38-yard field goal with no time remaining to give the Philadelphia Eagles a 23-20 victory over the New York Giants in a wild-card playoff game on Sunday.A day after Dallas lost to Seattle when quarterback Tony Romo fumbled the hold on what could have been a go-ahead field goal, the Eagles executed a seemingly routine play that has cost teams important games in recent weeks.
Brian Westbrook had 141 yards rushing, including a spectacular, slashing 49-yard TD run in the second quarter. His 65-yard punt return for an apparent score in the third quarter was nullified by a penalty on rookie Torrance Daniels. Continue
One hundred yards from Tiki Barber will not be enough for the Giants this afternoon in Philly, not when Eli Manning is struggling to throw for 100. The Giants need another 200-yard performance for the ages from their soon-to-be ex-running back to get past the Eagles in the wild-card game at The Linc, where it's going to be loud and hostile, and into the second round next Sunday in Chicago.
They never thought they would get stuck in the wild-card round after starting the season 6-2, but were fortunate that this was such a bad year in the NFC. Finishing up 2-6 should have sent them home. They are in the tournament, which means they can still get to Super Bowl XLI. "It will be hard, but I think we can," Barber said. Continue
His body of work does not inspire New York to believe he will deliver it a championship any time soon. There isn't a Giant fan who longs for the young Bill Parcells, or even for the young Eric Mangini, who will tell you today that Tom Coughlin is a great coach. It means he needs to coach a great game against the Eagles today to keep his job.
Coughlin has the same Us-Against-the-World scenario that Parcells had at Candlestick Park when he and Bill Belichick denied Joe Montana a threepeat in the 1990 NFC Championship Game.
Let's see what Coughlin can do with it.
Coughlin has the underdog team, the undermanned team, and no one who has been waiting 16 years for a third Lombardi Trophy particularly cares. A fan base that was promised a disciplined Super Bowl contender feels betrayed. Continue
Jerry Reese, one of the top candidates to replace Ernie Accorsi as the Giants' general manager, is a candidate to become the Tennessee Titans' GM as well. Reese, the Giants' director of player personnel, is on the Titans' list of potential candidates to replace Floyd Reese, who resigned Friday after 13 seasons. The Titans have not contacted the Giants yet to ask permission to interview Jerry Reese, but they are expected to do so soon.
They would be allowed to interview him next week, according to NFL rules, even if the Giants are still in the playoffs. Jerry Reese is a graduate of the University of Tennessee-Martin and he has been a hot GM candidate in the past. He was considered by the Tampa Bay Bucs for their GM opening in 2003 and interviewed with the Miami Dolphins for their GM vacancy in 2004. Continue
Up on the board was a list of all the veteran players, and next to their names was the number of playoff appearances for each of them. Bob Whitfield: 15 years in the league, six playoff games. Antonio Pierce: Six years, no playoff games. Tiki Barber: Nine years, six playoff games. Jeff Feagles: 19 years, five playoff games.
Giants coach Tom Coughlin wanted to make certain the message was seen and heard, loud and clear: Only the foolish take this opportunity for granted.
"You got taken aback. Being in this situation, it's something you can overlook," rookie defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka said. Continue
Jeremy Shockey's left ankle may not be 100%, but it appears it will be good enough for him to start tomorrow. Though Tom Coughlin remained non-committal, the Giants tight end is expected to start the wild-card matchup with the Eagles. Shockey was still limping in the locker room yesterday, but after he made it through a second straight practice without a setback, Coughlin said "I think Jeremy has made good progress" this week.
Asked directly if Shockey will be playing tomorrow, Coughlin paused before saying "We'll see." Coughlin would not say if Shockey made it through a full practice, just that they increased his number of plays from the limited action he saw on Thursday. After that practice, Coughlin said Shockey would "not necessarily" need to practice in full before playing in the game. Continue
Out of a wretched season of rubble, out of the ashes of despair, rises a New York Giants football team that expects to win tomorrow in Philadelphia. "I love this game plan!" Tiki Barber said outside the Big Blue locker room, across from the Super Bowl XXI and XXV insignias on the wall. Why is that?
"Just because on an anticipatory level, we kinda know what they're gonna do to us," Barber said. "And, we put in some things that are designed to take advantage of them. It's gonna give us a chance to get the ball in our playmakers' hands and have us make some big plays. It's exciting. Our game plan is something that we have juice about." Continue
Jeremy Shockey slowly is working his way back into the Giants' lineup. And his teammates can't wait for him to arrive. "He's our emotional leader," center Shaun O'Hara said. "Sometimes for good, sometimes for bad, but you know you're going to get the same thing from him every time. And I love him for it. We're hoping we can have him."
Shockey's status for Sunday was still questionable yesterday after he was unable to make it through a full practice because of his injured left ankle. It was his first attempt at practicing since he suffered the injury on Dec. 24 against the Saints. "We worked (Shockey) in as best as we could," Tom Coughlin said. "And he did well with the opportunities that he had. Hopefully (today) will be even more progress." Continue
The Giants have heard all the trash-talk coming out of Philadelphia this week, and naturally they've been itching to respond. But somehow they've managed to go almost an entire week with their big mouths shut. "Hopefully we're focused on playing, not on talking," said Giants linebacker Brandon Short. "We're not on any debate team here."
It had to be difficult for the Giants (8-8) not to join the debate with the Eagles (10-6) heading into their playoff game on Sunday afternoon. The one thing these Giants have been consistently good at all year is talking a very good game. Often they talk a better game than they play. Continue
It's not all Eli's fault. That was the message that came out of the Eagles locker room yesterday. While the Eagles intend to get in Eli Manning's face Sunday, they said the Giants QB doesn't deserve all the blame for his struggles.
"I think they're giving that guy a hard time," Eagles cornerback Sheldon Brown said. "When he gets hot, he can be pretty darned good. But teams get pressure on him. When you're able to get pressure on him, I don't know too many quarterbacks that do well under pressure. I just don't think it's him."
Does that mean it's the offensive line's fault? Continue
Antonio Pierce hated every minute of last year's playoff game, watching it from the sidelines while leaning on crutches. He had waited five years to step into the playoff spotlight. It killed him to be unable to run onto the stage. So consider it extra motivation for the chronically underappreciated linebacker that one year later he's been given a second shot at postseason stardom. He's waited his entire six-year career for a day like this Sunday, when the Giants (8-8) play a wild-card game at Philadelphia (10-6).
He doesn't plan on wasting his big chance. "It's the month of January," Pierce said yesterday. "Everybody remembers people in January. They don't remember you in September, October or November. Not even in December. But they remember you in January and February." Continue
The Giants and Eagles won't be having dinner together or even exchanging text messages after one of them gets eliminated on Sunday in Philly. This bitter rivalry has been taken to a new level with vicious hits the last few years that crossed the line and ignited tempers that already had short fuses. The hostile atmosphere for the wild-card game will add to the Giants' intensity. They will feed off the animosity Eagles fans have for them and the animosity the Giants have for the Eagles, who they know too well to like.
"It's always a physical game," Plaxico Burress said yesterday. "A lot of trash talking. Always a lot of hard hitting. We don't like each other. I noticed that my first time out there last year playing against those guys. It's one of those games that each team really gets jacked up for. Both cities don't like each other. Our fans don't like their fans and their fans don't like ours." Continue
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