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Preseason Game 4: New York Giants vs New England Patriots – Game Objectives

September 2nd, 2010 at 11:26 AM
By Hazem Kiswani

The New York Giants come into their final preseason game with a little more uncertainty than they are used to. The first unit has had struggles on both sides of the football throughout the preseason, and there is still some concern about depth at certain positions. There have been rumblings that New York could be looking around the league after final cuts for some help at quarterback and in the secondary, and tonight’s game will certainly have a considerable impact on what this roster looks like going into the week one showdown with Carolina.

Today, we look at what Tom Coughlin and the Giants need to find out, and accomplish in their preseason finale.

Play the Starters Limited Snaps, Get in Rhythm

Eli Manning and the first unit offense had a lot of trouble getting going against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday, and the group really didn’t find much more success against the Steelers or Jets in their previous preseason games. Now those are three very good defenses, but the fact of the matter is this – with the injuries and inconsistency across the offensive line, this group has really been unable to get in sync, and that’s an issue going into the regular season. Two strong series’ for the starters could go a long way in building confidence for this team going into week one.

Decide on Keith Bulluck

Bulluck is expected to be the starter in the middle for the New York Giants this season, but Tom Coughlin will have to decide whether or not Bulluck is physically ready to be the starter and play a full four quarters of football in week one. If Bulluck can show Coughlin aggressiveness and a consistent motor, he should be the guy in the middle against the Carolina Panthers on September 12th.

Sort Out the Return Game

The Giants return game is clearly not the strongest unit of their football team. Punt and kick returns have been mediocre for the majority of preseason, and no one has emerged as the clear number one returner with the loss of Domenik Hixon.

Is Rhett Bomar Enough?

Bomar will once again play extensively tonight, and he will have to come out and make the Giants decision a little bit easier as to whether or not they should pursue help at backup quarterback. With Jim Sorgi being placed on IR this week, the Giants are down to just Bomar behind Eli Manning – and the second year signal-caller has had an up and down preseason performance to this point. He’s struggled with accuracy and completing the intermediate pass, but Bomar has also showed flashes of ability in getting the team points with his mobility and the big play.

Decide on the #5 Cornerback

Let’s just put this on the table because there really is no other way to put it – Courtney Brown has been absolutely undressed in every game he’s played for this team this August. The depth at cornerback looks very shaky, and while the Giants would like to have five or six corners going into the season, the argument can be made that they only have four legitimate NFL cornerbacks on their roster, with a struggling Bruce Johnson as the #4 guy. This could be a crucial issue for the Giants – as Corey Webster and Aaron Ross have both had significant injury issues in previous years.

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Posted in 2010 Giants, Aaron Ross, Bruce Johnson, Corey Webster, Courtney Brown, Domenik Hixon, Eli Manning, Giants 101, Jim Sorgi, Rhett Bomar | 84 Comments »

Preseason Finale – New England Patriots @ New York Giants: What to Watch For

September 1st, 2010 at 5:00 PM
By SimonGC

I know what you’re thinking: “Really? A “What To Watch For” for the last preseason game?” Well, we here at G101 like to reflect the intensity that the NFL brings to the table, so, ummm….blame them for this, not us.

Seriously, there’s not all that much interesting about the final preseason game. Many of you probably aren’t even watching it (and thus, probably not reading this). For those of you that are, here are a few things to keep your eye on in tomorrow’s final tune-up before Big Blue hosts Carolina in week 1.

Rhett Bomar

Bomar’s been playing for a job all preseason, but this time he trots out there knowing the guy who was in front of him is on season-ending Injured Reserve. Bomar will know it is his absolute last chance to have any influence on the Giants decision wether or not to replace Jim Sorgi with another veteran QB. With Eli Manning probably not playing more than a series (or two), and Dominic Randolph cleaning up in garbage time if he’s lucky, Bomar will get most of the game to throw the ball to, and most importantly against, second- and third-stringers.

Wondering exactly how long will Bomar play? Tom Coughlin thinks you should stop asking stupid questions:

Does it make a difference if he plays three [quarters] versus two and a half? He’s going to play a lot. Same thing. Same thing he’s been doing.

Bruce Johnson

With Aaron Ross injured (again), Bruce Johnson becomes an extremely important player for the Giants as the nickel back. Expected to progress as a player in his second year, Johnson’s had an up-and-down training camp and preseason (although last week’s initial performance as the team’s nickel back was clearly one of the “down” ones). Not only should Johnson should get relatively extended work in this game, he’ll get to work against Wes Welker and Julian Edelman, the kind of speedy receivers he’ll generally be matched up with.

The deep depth guys behind Bruce Johnson will also be interesting to watch. No one from the group of D.J. Johnson, Courtney Brown and Seth Williams has played well enough to make the roster. Can any of them can make a final impression?

The Return Jobs

A couple weeks ago it seemed like DJ Ware would be returning kicks, with Aaron Ross back deep for punt returns. This week, Ware’s just returning from his second concussion in the last 8 months, and Ross is in a walking boot. Mario Manningham probably gets a chance to show he can be trusted with the punt return job, but a litany of guys are still in play for the kick return job. Victor Cruz!, Andre Brown, Tim Brown and the winner of the Ware/Gartrell Johnson battle for the 4th RB spot are all in play for this job. Speaking of Ware and Gartrell Johnson, they’ll both probably see a fair amount of action tomorrow night, and Ware better hope he stays healthy if he wants to make this team.

As usual, we’ll be here with an open game-thread tomorrow night, followed by a recap of the game and an analysis the next morning. Enjoy your last bit of frustratingly meaningless football Giants fans. The real fun starts soon.

Other Notes:

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Posted in Aaron Ross, Bruce Johnson, Courtney Brown, D.J. Johnson, D.J. Ware, Eli Manning, Gartrell Johnson, Jim Sorgi, Mario Manningham, Rhett Bomar, Seth Williams, Tom Coughlin | 116 Comments »

Andre Brown Means Derrick Ward and the New York Giants Will Not Reunite

September 1st, 2010 at 8:30 AM
By Serena Sanderson

When Tiki Barber decided to retire from football at the ripe age of 31, it came as a huge shock to New York Giants fans and NFL observers alike. He was so young to retire! What would the Giants do now? Thinking that Derrick Ward would be the likely replacement after the 2006-2007 season, Big Blue found their answer in an unlikely source: Brandon Jacobs. Drafted in the 4th round of the 2005 NFL Draft, Jacobs had just gotten his feet wet when he stepped up to the plate and showed Giants fans there was nothing to worry about when he helped lead the team to a Super Bowl victory.

And what about Derrick Ward? He was part of that team and contributed to the Giants Championship Season. Where is he now? The ex-New York Giant signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2009. Unfortunately, the Bucs released him yesterday after Cadillac Williams returned from injury to re-take the starting spot.

With the Giants injury issues this season, why would they not re-sign the 30-year-old back? In a name: Andre Brown.

Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw have the running back position locked down, so leadership and experience are not an issue. Brown, the 2nd year player out of NC State, has a lot to offer to the future of the Giants offense. This season is proving to be hard on Big Blue, having lost three players (Jim Sorgi, Sinorice Moss, Adrian Tracy) to the IR this week alone. Running backs are certainly not immune to injury, and Brown is definitely a guy to keep your eye on.

Andre Brown missed his rookie season with a ruptured Achilles, but his play during this year’s pre-season is showing that the Achilles is just fine. I did a little research and found that with new medical advances, a player who has Achilles surgery can resume training as early as eight weeks after surgery. It’s been over a year since he ruptured the tendon, so there’s no reason to think he’s not back to 100%.

Brown is big (6’0, 224 lbs), and he may not be the fastest guy out there, but he’s strong enough to carry a safety on his back for a few steps. He was also the Wolfpack’s 2nd leading receiver in 2008, which gives him versatility. Have him run a slant between the defensive line and safeties, catch the ball, turn and go. It’s an option that will throw defenses off since it is typically a Tight End route.

But I’m getting ahead of myself here. Brown is the future, not the now. The now is Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw. So again I ask, why not re-sign Derrick Ward? He could add depth at RB, sure, but he can’t contribute in any other way. He didn’t return a single kick in 2009 with the Bucs, and I doubt he could hack it now. Andre Brown is almost identical a player to Derrick Ward. Big. Strong. Determined. Versatile. It’s unnecessary to bring in Ward when Brown already has everything you’re looking for. Besides Ward is a bit old for a running back at 30; the Giants have so many other holes to fill that using a roster spot on a position that’s already solid is beyond ridiculous. For instance, the Giants need help on special teams. While Ward could possibly bring enough depth at running back to allow Gartrell Johnson or D.J. Ware to move over, there’s really no reason either of those two (or both) could not contribute on special teams and still be available at running back if needed.

Andre Brown is the new Derrick Ward. He’ll have Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw to mentor him at the position. Management will make use of him this season. He rushed for 26 yards on 5 carries and returned three kicks for 53 yards against the Jets in the Giants first pre-season game of 2010. Against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he rushed for 61 yards and one touchdown on 13 carries, and returned three kicks for 55 yards. When Bradshaw and Jacobs returned to the lineup against Baltimore last week, Brown still had three carries for eight yards, one reception for six yards, and one kick return for 12 yards. This kid is already contributing and showing that he can fill holes when players are hurt, or come in for a surprise play to throw off a defense. There is no need to bring in an “old man” when the Giants clearly have what they need. Let’s just hope management sees it the same way and looks to fill roster spots with players to replace those just placed on IR.

Other Notes:

  • The Giants have reportedly considered contacting the Arizona Cardinals about the availability of QB Matt Leinart.

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Posted in 2010 Giants, Adrian Tracy, Ahmad Bradshaw, Andre Brown, Baltimore Ravens, Brandon Jacobs, D.J. Ware, Derrick Ward, Gartrell Johnson, Jim Sorgi, New York Giants, New York Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers, Sinorice Moss | 178 Comments »

New York Giants Seeking Replacement for Quarterback Jim Sorgi

August 31st, 2010 at 4:33 PM
By Dan Benton

With quarterback Jim Sorgi now on Injured Reserve (see: New York Giants: Quick Fixes and Roster Moves), the New York Giants are said to be actively seeking a potential veteran replacement.

“I just think that we’re investigating all of our options, whatever those options are. If it comes that the decision is made after the game, fine. If it comes that the decision is made before that, fine, but all of the options are open, of course. Depending on if (Bomar) goes in there and plays well on Thursday night, we’ll certainly have good evidence to think that he can do it,” Tom Coughlin said.

For Rhett Bomar, nothing has changed. Until he’s replaced and bumped down the depth chart, he plans to move forward as scheduled.

“It’s not scary,” Bomar said. “I’ve said it a million times, I can only control what I can control. My job on Thursday is to go out there and play to the best of my ability. Help the team whenever I get my opportunity.”

Additional Note:

  • Just a quick update for everyone that may have been planning on joining us for the Giants 101 Tailgate Meetup. Due to personal circumstances out of our control, we are unfortunately going to need to postpone Thursday’s tailgate. We apologize for any inconvenience if any of you had made plans to be there to meet us and talk New York Giants football, but we are already working on a better, more exciting regular season tailgate instead…hopefully doing so on a Sunday will also help.

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Posted in Jim Sorgi, Rhett Bomar, Tom Coughlin | 122 Comments »

New York Giants: Quick Fixes and Roster Moves

August 31st, 2010 at 10:57 AM
By Rich O'Callaghan

The New York Giants have struggled during the preseason, but I think there are a few quick fixes that could help right the ship if they are implemented before the start of the regular season. These seem like logical moves that could instantly make the team more formidable when they take on the Carolina Panthers on September 12th, but I am not predicting that these moves will be made before the opener. I am saying that these are personnel moves that a front office and coaching staff that is frustratingly adverse to change should consider making before the start of the season. One or two of these moves might even be made, but I am skeptical.

UPDATE: As I was posting this, the Giants made a few major roster moves, please see updates below.

  • Start Linval Joseph - Defensive tackle Chris Canty, who has a minor groin injury and missed last Saturday’s preseason game, will clearly be one of the the Giants starting defensive tackles this season. The other will likely be longtime starter Barry Cofield, who has looked sluggish and uninterested during this preseason, and I wonder if he is still upset about almost being shipped to New Orleans during the draft. It is apparent that Jay Alford has not recovered fully from a knee injury that cost him the 2009 season, and he cannot be counted on until he is healthy. I would start rookie defensive tackle Linval Joseph next to Chris Canty to begin the season, as he has looked like the most dominating tackle on the roster thus far. Joseph has used his size (6′5 328lbs) and a combination of strength and quickness to make plays all preseason, and yes there will be some growing pains, but nobody else has his upside to make an impact right away. By starting Canty and Joseph, a rotation featuring Rocky Bernard (who has also impressed this preseason and had two sacks against the Ravens) and Cofield (in short yardage situations) would make the most impact early in the season.
  • Get the Ball to Cruz - The Giants top three receivers are set with Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham making up what some consider the best young receiving corps in the league. After them the depth chart gets a little cloudy, since Domenik Hixon, who was penciled in as the fourth receiver was lost for the season during mini-camp. The favorite to win the fourth spot was likely highly touted Ramses Barden, who would bring an element of size into the equation that the top three lack, but Barden has struggled during the preseason and just returned from a back injury yesterday. Suddenly, there was chatter at Giants camp of a undrafted rookie free agent from UMass wowing everyone at practice, and head coach Tom Coughlin first began to mention the name Victor Cruz. Since the start of preseason Cruz has bust onto the national scene, leading the entire NFL in receiving yards (251) and touchdowns (4). It looks like Cruz will not only make the team, but is one of the leading candidates to win the fourth receiver spot and could return kickoffs or punts. When you have a player that is doing what Cruz is doing right now, and it does not seem to be a one-time thing, you get him on the field.
  • Start Shawn Andrews - The Giants signed the former Pro-Bowl offensive lineman, who was out of the NFL due to depression issues, and you could see why on Saturday. There is no doubt that Andrews is a supreme physical talent, and a dominating run blocker, who can play in several different spots on the offensive line. The Giants could not run the football in 2009, and the offensive line was often pushed back at the line of scrimmage, and were unable to open holes for the running backs. I have been pushing all off-season for the Giants to start William Beatty and left tackle and move David Diehl to left guard, making Rich Seubert a valuable backup, but I would like to revise this proposition. With center Shaun O’Hara nursing an ankle injury and Seubert assuming the role of backup center, why not start the imposing Andrews at left guard. It is clear that a line of Diehl, Andrews, O’Hara/Seubert, Chris Snee and Kareem McKenzie would be a force in the running game once Andrews plays himself into game shape. This line, which may struggle at times in pass protection, should be able to open holes big enough that a truck (or even Brandon Jacobs) can cruise through in the run game.
  • Find a Cornerback - The Giants have a great starting tandem at cornerback with Corey Webster and Terrell Thomas, but an injury to nickel back Aaron Ross’ foot has really exposed their depth. Fourth cornerback Bruce Johnson is okay when he can use his athleticism to fly around the field and make plays, but he continues to struggle in man coverage, and is not ready for a major role yet. Beyond Johnson, the Giants lack depth at corner, with undrafted free agent Seth Williams looking like the best of the bunch, followed by D.J. Johnson and finally Courtney Brown, who looks like he does not belong in the Arena League. It should be general manager Jerry Reese’s priority to find a veteran cornerback with some experience, who could come in and play in nickel and dime situations right away, when teams begin to trim their rosters. It would also help if they could return kicks or punts (see below).
  • Find a Return Man - Following the injuries to Domenik Hixon and then Aaron Ross, it is clear that the Giants need to find someone who can handle return duties full time, and I am not seeing that player on their current roster. Tim Brown, who went undrafted out of Rutgers, looks like the best of the bunch. Jerry Reese also needs to keep his eyes peeled for a consistent return man, who the Giants can count on to field kickoffs and punts on a regular basis, because it does not look like anyone they currently have will be up to the task. I am sure one will be available, as many returners are back of the roster depth to begin with, and a few with potential will be released.

UPDATE:

  • The Giants placed backup quarterback Jim Sorgi (shoulder), wide receiver Sinorice Moss (groin) and rookie linebacker Adrian Tracy (elbow) on the injured reserve this morning, ending their seasons before they started. They also waived wide receiver Nyan Boateng. The big news here is Sorgi being placed on the injured reserve, because the Giants are now in the market for a veteran backup quarterback, a position that belongs to Rhett Bomar for the time being.  Expect to hear names like Sage Rosenfels, Kellen Clemens and Jeff Garcia floated around over the next few days. Moss underwent season ending surgery to repair as sports hernia this morning, and by placing him on the IR, his disappointing Giants career is effectively over. More importantly, it now looks like Victor Cruz will be a lock to make the roster, which he fully deserves. Adrian Tracy showed a little promise this preseason, but his dislocated elbow showed ligament damage, and he underwent surgery to repair the injury this morning.

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Posted in 2010 Giants, Aaron Ross, Adrian Tracy, Brandon Jacobs, Bruce Johnson, Chris Canty, Chris Snee, Corey Webster, Courtney Brown, D.J. Johnson, David Diehl, Domenik Hixon, Hakeem Nicks, Jay Alford, Jerry Reese, Jim Sorgi, Kareem McKenzie, Linval Joseph, Mario Manningham, Ramses Barden, Rich O'Callaghan, Rich Seubert, Seth Williams, Shaun O'Hara, Shawn Andrews, Sinorice Moss, Terrell Thomas, Tom Coughlin, William Beatty | 211 Comments »

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