Giants News

Changes loom if Giants drop ball
Comment
November 20
New York Post
 columnist George Willis
"The Giants came back from their bye week saying all the right things yesterday, conducting business as usual almost as if their four-game losing streak were a distant memory. All eyes were pointed forward to a seven-game season that begins Sunday against the Falcons at Giants Stadium, a stretch that could determine the future of the franchise. Make no mistake: Not only are the playoffs at stake over the next few weeks, but so are jobs and future jobs. "We're looking at this as a new season," center Shaun O'Hara said. "We were 5-4 and there's nothing we can do about that. We can't change it. All we can work for is going forward." Then he added, "The one thing this team has is that we have ..."
Thanksgiving week could make or break Giants' year
Comment
November 20
New York Post
 
"It's a short week with a lot to prove for a Giants team that's trying to make this Thanksgiving dinner a celebration rather than a last supper for their playoff hopes. On Sunday, the Giants come off their bye week and take on the Falcons in hopes of ending their four-game losing streak. That's followed four days later with a trip to Denver to take on the Broncos in their first Thanksgiving game since 1992. Lose both and Big Blue drops to 5-6 and are looking at the playoffs from the outside. Win both and the division could still be theirs. In four days, the turkey can go from savory to sour very fast. "Going into [the short week], you have to [say] I know I'm going to be sore and I need to ..."
G-Men field full roster at practice
Comment
November 20
New York Post
 
"It was a sight rarely seen this late in the game and something the Giants haven't experienced this season. They hit the practice field yesterday and all 53 players on the roster participated. "We have room enough on the field to accommodate that," a pleased coach Tom Coughlin said. The perfect attendance record became official when running back Ahmad Bradshaw shed his protective boot. Bradshaw usually sits out two days each week because of the cracked bone in his right foot but he got on the field a day earlier than usual. This of course was what the Giants hoped for as they limped into their late bye week riding a four-game losing streak. After a full training camp followed by four ..."
Giants' rushing attack complete with Ware
Comment
November 20
New York Post
 
"The gang is finally all here. The three-headed running back monster the Giants envisioned was one head short for the first half of the season, but with the return of Danny Ware it's a fully-loaded backfield as the Giants on Sunday take aim at the Falcons and their shaky run defense. "You got your banger, your third down back, and your speed change-up guy," running backs coach Jerald Ingram said, "and away we go." The banger, of course, is Brandon Jacobs, who is back in form, averaging 5.1-yards per rushing attempt in his last four games. The third down back is Ware, who two weeks ago against the Chargers finally returned to the field after an extended absence. The speed change-up guy is ..."
Brandon Jacobs set to carry New York Giants in cold against Atlanta Falcons
Comment
November 20
New York Daily News
 
"The holiday season is probably Brandon Jacobs' favorite time of year. When the weather starts to get cold, Jacobs likes to run and punish defenders. Now if only the Giants could be in a giving mood and hand him the ball more. Jacobs thinks this is the time of year when the Giants' running game can come to life. "Oh, no question, it's going to be nice and cold," Jacobs said Thursday. "The ball is going to be really hard, and we just have to be ready to carry as many times as they are going to give it to me." Like a kid eagerly awaiting to open his presents on Christmas Eve, Jacobs has been waiting most of the season for a game in which he can carry the ball early and often. Against ..."
Dry-eyed Tom Coughlin must find way to turn around New York Giants
Comment
November 20
New York Daily News
 
"One crying coach in New York is enough, so Tom Coughlin is going to have to come up with something else to reach his team and get them straightened out. A survey of a few Giants players Thursday revealed that they've never seen Coughlin shedding any tears in front of the team. "I don't think Tom is a crier," Justin Tuck said. "No, I've never seen Tom cry, but if he did, I don't think it would change my opinion of him," Mathias Kiwanuka said. Still, the Giants need something to get their season going again. Just as Eli Manning has been inconsistent and Brandon Jacobs is still without a 100-yard game and the relentless pass rush expected from Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora has been missing, ..."
History shows close call could kick-start Giants
Comment
November 19
New York Post
 columnist Paul Schwartz
"In his role as an analyst for Sports USA Radio Network, John Robinson was recently at Giants Stadium for a game that ended so suddenly and sickly for the Giants that it was tempting to envision their entire season spiraling into oblivion. Yet after getting a first-hand look at Chargers 21, Giants 20, Robinson — a former national championship coach at USC who twice guided the Rams into the NFC title game — remained convinced the Giants are playoff-bound. "Yep, I definitely do," Robinson yesterday told The Post from his home in Carlsbad, Calif. "I don't think there's any question. Those guys are good coaches. They made a late-season rally to win the Super Bowl. They know what they're doing." ..."
Ross ready for belated debut
Comment
November 19
New York Post
 
"As he high-stepped through the locker room, cornerback Aaron Ross yesterday could barely contain himself, smiling from ear-to-ear as he described his excitement at his impending season debut Sunday against the Falcons. "I feel great," a beaming Ross said. "I have about three months saved up in me. If I'm healthy all the way up until Sunday, I'll be out there. Hamstrings are just one step away from being re-injured. Right now I'm feeling really, really good." Ross hasn't played all season because of lingering issues with his hamstring, but he finally appears to be physically fit. He began practicing last week and was listed as participating yesterday on a limited basis. "It is his job to ..."
Boley ready to attack old team
Comment
November 19
New York Post
 
"You can be sure when Michael Boley hits the field Sunday he will feel differently than he ever has. He spent the first four years of his NFL career with the Falcons, believed he found a home in Atlanta and was a fixture with an up-and-coming team. Then he was benched and finally dumped. Now he's poised to start at weak-side linebacker against his former team as the Giants seek to snap out of a four-game losing streak and salvage their season against the Falcons at Giants Stadium. "Was I bitter? When I first left, yeah, I was bitter," Boley admitted yesterday. "I'm not even going to lie, I was bitter. But after having a chance to really sit back and think to myself something I've always ..."
Changes loom if Giants drop the ball
Comment
November 19
New York Post
 columnist George Willis
"THE GIANTS came back from their bye week saying all the right things yesterday, conducting business as usual almost as if their four-game losing streak were a distant memory. All eyes were pointed forward to a seven-game season that begins Sunday against the Falcons at Giants Stadium, a stretch that could determine the future of the franchise. Make no mistake: Not only are the playoffs at stake over the next few weeks, but so are jobs and future jobs. "We're looking at this as a new season," center Shaun O'Hara said. "We were 5-4 and there's nothing we can do about that. We can't change it. All we can work for is going forward." Then he added, "The one thing this team has is that we have ..."
Snelling ready to try to fill Turner's cleats
Comment
November 19
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
 
"Backup running back Jason Snelling is preparing to start for Michael Turner against the New York Giants on Sunday. "My approach is that I'm going to be coming in and starting this game," said Snelling on Wednesday. "That's the mind-set that I have to have this week." Turner suffered a high ankle sprain against Carolina and did not practice. He would not rule himself out of Sunday's game. "I don't have a time frame on the injury," Turner said. "I'm not going to count myself out right now. It's only Wednesday. I'm going to take a couple of days. Later on in the week, I'll know for sure if I'll be able to play or not." Falcons coach Mike Smith remains hopeful that Turner will recuperate. ..."
Former Atlanta Falcon Michael Boley ready to face former team as member of New York Giants
Comment
November 19
New York Daily News
 
"Michael Boley said he once was "bitter" about how his four years in Atlanta ended. And sure, there's a part of him that wants to show the Falcons what a mistake they made letting him get away. If this were a normal week, Boley might even be fired up about his chance at revenge. But with the way things have gone for the Giants lately, this isn't a normal week. "It would've been easier to say, ‘OK, I'm looking forward to playing Atlanta,' if we hadn't lost four straight," the Giants linebacker said yesterday. "Right now it's all about winning this next game. Period." That's the truth about the Giants' upcoming game against the Atlanta Falcons, a battle of two 5-4 teams locked in a four-way ..."
New York Giants cornerback Aaron Ross puts hopes in hamstring
Comment
November 19
New York Daily News
 
"Aaron Ross has now made it through a season-high three straight practices without a setback for his injured hamstring. Two more and he might even get to play in a game. Ross, the Giants' cornerback, is looking forward to that now that his thrice-injured hamstring is coming around. He is even beginning to get an increased workload in practice, although the Giants are being cautious. "We're just trying to bring him along and give him more opportunities and take off any kind of limitations that are there," Tom Coughlin said. "It's his job to prove to us that there is no limitation." Ross is trying hard to do that. He said he's been working with the same personal trainer used by his fiancée, ..."
For final seven games, Eli Manning must be the one for the New York Giants
Comment
November 19
New York Daily News
 columnist Tim Smith
"With the bye week in their rear-view mirror, the Giants returned to work Wednesday, preparing for the final seven games of the season and a stretch run they hope leads to a Super Bowl victory. Remember when the season started, the Giants were mentioned as a Super Bowl contender? When they ripped off five straight wins to start the season, it started to look like a foregone conclusion. Follow that with four straight losses and now who knows where the ride will end. In the locker room after practice Wednesday the players talked about being refreshed. They said they used the time off to heal and reflect on the good and the bad of going 5-4 before the break. "Seven games left to go in the ..."
Giants in tight spot
Comment
November 18
Bergen Record
 
"Tom Coughlin always talks about having his entire roster healthy, because that's what you count on when you put your team together in the off-season. Of course that rarely happens. He knows that's not possible on defense since safety Kenny Phillips went out for the season after the second game. But the rest of those who were supposed to play a role this season should be on the practice field today when preparation for Sunday's huge game against Atlanta commences. That includes defensive lineman Chris Canty, who has played in two games this season; linebacker Michael Boley, who has participated in four; and cornerback Aaron Ross, who has yet to take a snap. Boley and Canty played in the ..."
New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs hopes to break early slump
Comment
November 18
New York Daily News
 
"Brandon Jacobs is a 6-4, 264-pound ball of power. He's not going to dance his way through the line of scrimmage. He's going to knock over defensive lines as if he were a bowling ball. The Giants understand that. They just forgot it earlier in the year. That's the best explanation yet for why Jacobs, the Giants' No. 1 running back, got off to such a slow start this season and why he has rebounded to average 5.1 yards per carry in the last four games. Yes, there was something different about the way Jacobs was running. But according to running backs coach Jerald Ingram, it's because the coaches were asking their big back to do things he isn't suited to do. More specifically, Jacobs was being ..."
History shows close call could kickstart Big Blue
Comment
November 18
New York Post
 columnist Paul Schwartz
"In his role as an analyst for Sports USA Radio Network, John Robinson was recently at Giants Stadium for a game that ended so suddenly and sickly for the Giants that it was tempting to envision their entire season spiraling into oblivion. Yet after getting a first-hand look at Chargers 21, Giants 20, Robinson — a former national championship coach at USC who twice guided the Rams into the NFC title game — remained convinced the Giants are playoff-bound. "Yep, I definitely do," Robinson yesterday told The Post from his home in Carlsbad, Calif. "I don't think there's any question. Those guys are good coaches. They made a late-season rally to win the Super Bowl. They know what they're doing." ..."
Giants enjoy bye week as Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys suffer losses
Comment
November 17
New York Daily News
 
"It had been more than a month since the Giants have had a weekend as good as this past one. Now all they have to do is make sure their good fortune pays off. While the Giants were enjoying their much-needed bye week, there was carnage in the NFC East on Sunday. The Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys were both dragged back to the pack by disheartening losses. So when the Giants (5-4) returned to work yesterday they found themselves just one game back in the race for the division title and in a four-way tie for the NFC's two wild-card spots. "Lucky for us it puts things back in reach," said defensive end Justin Tuck. "But we still can't worry about what other people did. We have to go ..."
Time off right Rx for Tuck
Comment
November 17
New York Post
 
"Although defensive end Justin Tuck hasn't missed any games this season, the bye week was beneficial for him, as it allowed his still-ailing left shoulder some time to heal for the seven-game stretch run. Tuck was injured in the second game of the season when he was tripped by Cowboys right tackle Flozell Adams. Ever since, Tuck has played in pain and worn a harness that protects his shoulder but also restricts his movements, which reduces his effectiveness. The time off helped. "A lot," he said. "It allowed me to do the strengthening work without having to go out to practice and bang on it. It's been an issue. You go out there and play, but obviously I haven't been 100 percent. But I don't ..."
Giants gain hope from foes' woes
Comment
November 17
New York Post
 
"As the Giants this past weekend hung out and relaxed, the teams that matter most to them encountered all sorts of carnage. Consider it the best possible bye week for the slumping Giants, who probably need all the help they can get as they try to rise from the ashes of a four-game losing streak. Within the Giants' division, the Cowboys (6-3) this past Sunday barely managed to score in a 17-7 loss in Green Bay, and the Eagles (5-4) couldn't slow down Philip Rivers and the Chargers in a 31-23 loss in San Diego. Within the conference, the Falcons (5-4) -- a wild-card playoff competitor -- continued their slide with a 28-19 loss to the Panthers. It got worse for those teams and thus better for ..."
Teams winds up a winner during bye
Comment
November 17
Bergen Record
 
"All and all, it was the Giants' best Sunday since the Oakland Raiders came to town more than a month ago. First, they did not lose, and they didn't lose any players to injury. Plus, the teams they most wanted to lose all lost, while some key players were injured in the process. Dallas, leading the NFC East at 6-3, lost in Green Bay as offensive tackle Marc Colombo suffered a broken fibula. Philadelphia lost to San Diego and now is tied with the Giants at 5-4. Eagles running back Brian Westbrook suffered yet another concussion, and with the climate surrounding head injuries these days, he figures to be out for a while. And Atlanta (5-4), Sunday's opponent and potential wild-card competitor, ..."
Giants, Fresh Off Bye, Look for Turnaround
Comment
November 17
New York Times
 
"If quarterback Eli Manning needed inspiration during the Giants' bye week, he received a double dose to go with some family football values to ease the pain of a four-game losing streak. On Saturday, Manning and his father, Archie, were in Oxford, Miss., to see Ole Miss defeat Tennessee, 42-17. Each is a former quarterback for Mississippi, which is 7-3. On Sunday, Manning watched on television as his brother Peyton rallied Indianapolis to a come-from-behind 35-34 victory over the New England Patriots. The Colts improved to 9-0. On Monday, Eli Manning and his teammates returned to the Meadowlands training center to start preparations to face Atlanta on Sunday afternoon at Giants Stadium. ..."
Giants defensive end Justin Tuck, quarterback Eli Manning rest injuries over bye week
Comment
November 16
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"Justin Tuck spent at least part of his bye weekend "in a tree stand" in the mountains hunting white-tailed deer. He didn't get any. But he did get something much more important over the break: rest for his left shoulder, which he admitted has been bothering him since he injured it in Week 2 at Dallas. Asked how much the bye week rest helped, Tuck said, "a lot." "It allowed me to do the strengthening work I needed to do, without having to practice and bang on it," Tuck said on a conference call with reporters Monday. "Gave it a lot of time to recover. It felt pretty good today; I'll probably do a little more work on it and have (Tuesday) off. I hope I'll be that much better coming up this ..."
Banged-up Boss likes bye
Comment
November 15
Bergen Record
 
"Mike Pope calls it the phone booth. The small, confined area where the tight end lines up, Pope's phone booth is the real estate the Giants' assistant coach expects his players to rule. "It starts there," Pope said during the week, the Giants' locker room nearly empty around him as players bolted into the bye week. "Until you are able to operate effectively, run blocking or pass releasing, until you can get the right things done in that area before the ball is snapped, you're not going to be functional further down the field." Week by week, even while the Giants struggle to recapture the success of their 5-0 start, Pope has been impressed and encouraged by how much the primary player in ..."
General Manager Jerry Reese tells Daily News he feels Giants have all the parts to still be Super
Comment
November 15
New York Daily News
 
"Two months ago, Jerry Reese said he thought this Giants team had a chance to be better than the 2007 champions. Four straight losses haven't changed his mind. Saying that "the outlook is definitely positive" around his struggling 5-4 team, the Giants' general manager told the Daily News this week that he still thinks he has the making of a championship contender despite a difficult month that has sunk the Giants to third place in the NFC East. He expects a quick turnaround when the Giants come off their much-needed bye week. And, Reese added, "I believe this is a playoff team." "We have a great opportunity to right the ship and I fully expect us to do that. I really do," he told The News. ..."
New York Giants file complaint with NFL about Thanksgiving week schedule
Comment
November 15
New York Daily News
 
"Just as New York football fans are finishing up their holiday dinner on Thanksgiving night in 11 days, the Giants will be getting ready for kickoff 1,750 miles away from home in Denver. How does the organization feel about it? Not happy. Giants co-owner John Mara told the Daily News it's a competitive disadvantage for his team to play two time zones away in a short week. Mara, like his father before him, is the ultimate league man, but he filed a complaint with the NFL claiming the scheduling is unfair. "It's not an ideal situation," Mara said. The advantage is magnified because once the Broncos arrive home tonight from their game in Washington, they don't have to travel before ..."
NFL hands down fines to three NY Giants after game against San Diego Chargers
Comment
November 14
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"Three Giants players were each fined $5,000 by the NFL for plays dating back to Sunday's game against the San Diego Chargers, though the biggest fine that resulted from the game was handed down to Chargers safety Eric Weddle. Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw was fined $5,000 for a chop block. Cornerback Kevin Dockery was also fined $5,000 for unnecessarily striking his opponent (the play occurred in the third quarter when Dockery ran into Chargers punt returner Darren Sproles). Lastly, as we told you Wednesday , linebacker Clint Sintim was fined $5,000 for roughing the passer. He struck the Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers late"
For the New York Jets, winning would make the loudest noise on or off the field
Comment
November 13
New York Daily News
 columnist Filip Bondy
"Jets fans have been beaten down over the years more than a weary pack mule. Every time they smell sweet victory, they discover only bitter defeat in their feed sack. And so it was probably a bit cruel for Rex Ryan Thursday to implore his supporters at the Meadowlands this Sunday to rise up as one yet again, to lead the Jets onward and upward against the Jaguars. The coach practically blamed the team's recent problems at home on the fans' low-energy performances. "Let's bring our A game, on the field and in the stands," Ryan said. "I am challenging our fans. Be prideful. This is your football team." Well, yes. But it is also the same franchise that won't give its supporters an inch, that ..."
Rex Ryan challenges New York Jets fans to cheer harder and louder at Giants Stadium
Comment
November 13
New York Daily News
 
"The Jets felt it from the bottom of their feet to the core of their eardrums. When a dazed Tom Brady trudged off the field on Sept. 20, the stadium got so loud that players felt the ground tremble. Shaun Ellis, the longest-tenured Jet, said he never experienced anything like it in 10 years at the Meadowlands. What happened to that magic? The Jets have dropped two straight at their soon-to-be-closed stadium, and it looks as if they're going to leave the building without ever having established a consistent home-field advantage. Home is where the hurt is. Rex Ryan wants to change that before it's too late. The coach made a public appeal Thursday, imploring fans to wake up and help save the ..."
Jets' and Giants' success will impact sales of Personal Seat Licenses and season tickets
Comment
November 13
New York Daily News
 columnist Bob Raissman
"One issue escaping Valley of the Stupid residents, along with others obsessed with predicting outcomes of the remaining games on the Jets' and Giants' schedules, is a unique management desperation accompanying each team's quest for a playoff berth. The Jets' and Giants' success or failure, the way they finish the season, will impact sales of Personal Seat Licenses (PSLs) and season tickets in the new stadium opening next season. "Make no mistake, the Jets have eight games left, the Giants seven, this is their final showcase for selling these tickets," said a sports marketing executive who does business with multiple NFL teams. "They can talk about previous long-term commitments from their ..."
NY Giants coach Tom Coughlin says blame for fourth straight loss rests solely with him
Comment
November 12
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"Tom Coughlin spoke briskly, in stern tones, with great emphasis on the words that counted most. As he walked off the practice field Wednesday, the Giants head coach turned his opening statement to reporters into a no-nonsense decree that all blame for the Giants' 21-20, last-second loss to the Chargers last Sunday - the team's fourth straight defeat - rests solely with him. "It is my responsibility, and that is where it stops - right here," Coughlin said. "Nobody else is to blame. So let's not continue to (feel) around trying to figure that situation out." The strong public message from Coughlin - a nod, intentional or not, to former President Harry S. Truman - comes on the back side of ..."
Giants coach takes responsibility for Chargers defeat
Comment
November 12
New York Post
 
"We should have thrown the damn ball. Kevin Gilbride didn't phrase it exactly that way, but the Giants offensive coordinator yesterday admitted after looking back at a fateful, and ultimately wasteful, final series against the Chargers he wished he had been more aggressive. He wished he made sure Eli Manning at least attempted another pass down in the shadow of the San Diego goal line rather than go safe, run the ball twice and settle for a field goal. "There are still other things that you can do," Gilbride said, "and in retrospect, you wish you had done them." By now, the gory details of Chargers 21, Giants 20 — the most crushing loss in the four-game skid that puts the Giants at 5-4 ..."
Giants' Aaron Ross gets back on the field
Comment
November 12
New York Post
 
"There has been an Aaron Ross sighting. The missing-in-action cornerback hasn't played at all this season because of lingering hamstring issues, but yesterday he finally was out on the practice field as he tries to make good on his promise to get in his first game, Nov. 22 against the Falcons. "First time since Aug. 11 ... I remember the date," Ross said of returning to practice. "I felt good. A little rusty, but that's expected. This is my livelihood, this is how I feed myself, my family. Not being able to be out there and do it is very hard. I'm just very, very, very excited that I'm finally back out there with the guys." There's been speculation that once he returns the Giants might move ..."
Tom Coughlin used to taking heat
Comment
November 12
New York Post
 columnist Mike Vaccaro
"KEVIN Gilbride has been on the other side before. He has been a head coach in the NFL, and he knows the things that bother a head coach, that concern him, that cause him to rub his temples and massage his eyes, that make him want to step out in front of the world and channel your inner Al Haig and shout it at the top of your lungs. "I'm in charge here!" you want to proclaim. "It's the right thing to do," the Giants' offensive coordinator said yesterday. "It's up to the rest of us, staff and players, to carry out the coach's message. But it is his message." This is what Tom Coughlin had done about an hour before this, on the practice field of the Timex Performance Center: He reminded the ..."
Aaron Ross can be boost to shredded New York Giants secondary
Comment
November 12
New York Daily News
 
"Aaron Ross made it through practice without any setbacks Wednesday and he believes he's on track to make his season debut when the Giants return from their bye. Ross has been out since suffering the first of three different tears to his right hamstring on Aug. 9. He tried to return to the field on Aug. 25 and again on Sept. 30, but each time his comeback lasted only part of one practice before he tore his hamstring again. Still, Ross said, "I wasn't nervous at all" yesterday. "I felt really good to tell you the truth. I've got to get a little bit of the rust and cobwebs off, but a couple of more days of practice and I'll be all right." After yesterday's light practice, the Giants are off ..."
Giants no longer can live off Super season
Comment
November 11
New York Post
 columnist Paul Schwartz
"Let's get one thing straight. These Giants didn't win the Super Bowl two years ago. The next time one of them starts hearkening back to the days of overcoming adversity or winning on the road or disproving the critics or pulling out fourth-quarter victories, feel free to ignore them. Tune them out. Just as no one can ever take away the magnificent achievement of the 2007 edition of the Giants, no one can link that to this. That was special. This is ordinary. Many of the faces and names are the same, but don't be fooled into believing the guys who earned the rings will be able to figure out what's wrong and make it right. The "we did it before and we can do it again" mindset doesn't fly as ..."
As highest-paid quarterback, Eli Manning is tasked with saving sinking New York Giants
Comment
November 11
New York Daily News
 
"When the Giants made Eli Manning the highest-paid player in the NFL they weren't expecting a 4,000-yard season in return. They gave him a $106.9 million contract for this one big reason: He knows how to win. That's why, with the Giants' season hanging by a thread, there's really no way around this anymore. Manning has to earn his money down the stretch. Blame the defense, special teams or play-calling, but Manning's struggles have been an enormous part of the Giants' four-game losing streak. His six interceptions in the first three losses put the Giants' undermanned defense in terrible field position. And Manning gets plenty of blame, too, for the Giants becoming one of the worst ..."
New York Giants won't be able to overcome tough schedule
Comment
November 10
New York Daily News
 columnist Gary Myers
"Jim Mora's lasting contribution to the NFL came in his hilarious playoff rant in 2001 when his Colts were sinking in the standings. After a loss to the 49ers, Mora was asked about the playoff chances for the Colts, who were 4-6. "Playoffs? Don't talk about playoffs. You kidding me? Playoffs? I just hope we can win a game. Another game." The Colts finished 6-10 and Mora was fired. Well, that's a speech Tom Coughlin might want to dust off and borrow. Of course, Coughlin would never ridicule his team like Mora did. But he's not going to make the playoffs, either - even as a wild card in a weak field. The Giants' streak of four consecutive playoff years, the second-longest current run in the ..."
Phil Simms guesses well, but runs reverse on fourth-quarter play call
Comment
November 10
New York Daily News
 
"Five seconds. That's all that stood between the Giants and a two-week media autopsy. On CBS, as time ran out on the Giants, Jim Nantz introduced this unique surgical procedure, saying Tom Coughlin would be second-guessed over play selection on the fourth-quarter "drive" that started at the Chargers' 4-yard line with 3:14 left following Terrell Thomas' interception. The Giants came away with a field goal. "To me, it's hard to really second-guess that whole situation," said Phil Simms, responding to Nantz. "You played some odds ... Your defense played well." Curious comment. Simms had already first-guessed Coughlin during two key sequences in the Giants' 21-20 loss. Guess the former Giants ..."
Giants finding out how far good is from great with little room for improvement
Comment
November 10
New York Daily News
 
"The Giants played low-risk, power football on Sunday. They dominated possession, made few mistakes, burned minutes off the clock and for the most part contained an explosive pass offense. For all of that, they lost a fourth straight game - exactly the sort of game that Tom Coughlin and the Giants always seemed to win the previous three seasons. This 21-20 defeat to San Diego was in its own way more disturbing than the total, systemic breakdown a week earlier in Philadelphia, when they gave up 391 yards. Because suddenly the Giants can't even win when they are doing nearly everything they should be doing. You can rip Coughlin for taking the three points a couple of times, when he might ..."
Giants' Tom Coughlin in no rush to give ball to underutilized Brandon Jacobs
Comment
November 10
New York Daily News
 
"Brandon Jacobs gained 31 yards on the Giants' first drive on Sunday and averaged 6.1 yards per carry for the game. So how did the Giants' workhorse back end up with only 11 carries? Tom Coughlin had no answer yesterday, other than to say "I think the distribution was OK" among Jacobs, Ahmad Bradshaw and Danny Ware, who combined for 27 runs in the Giants' 21-20 loss to San Diego. Bradshaw (14 carries, 39 yards) and Ware (two for nine) combined to average only three yards per carry, half as much as Jacobs. "Funny," Coughlin said. "You weren't talking about this a couple of weeks ago when you didn't think (Jacobs) was playing that well." True, but Jacobs has been playing very well in a ..."
Giants see blue skies ahead, believe team can turn this season around
Comment
November 10
New York Daily News
 
"They put everything they had into one game to save their season, and they lost it in gut-wrenching fashion. They have been kicked around for a month and are still on a free fall with no end in sight. Yet remarkably, none of that has shaken the Giants' belief that they are still a true Super Bowl contender. And even though they're sliding into their bye week on a four-game losing streak after a 21-20 loss to the Chargers on Sunday, the Giants insisted there's still plenty of time for them to turn this crumbling season around. "I don't think (the loss to San Diego) did anything to dampen our confidence," defensive end Osi Umenyiora said yesterday. "We still think we're one of the best teams ..."
Giants' playoff mission: Impossible
Comment
November 10
New York Post
 columnist Steve Serby
"LOOK at the way the Bad News Giants have played for the past month. Now look at the schedule. The new slogan for the Bad News Giants must now be "Win Five To Survive." Their magic number for the playoffs is 10: as in, 10-6. Osi Umenyiora: "This is a situation the Giants are comfortable in right here. We have our backs against the wall, we always come out swinging." Shaun O'Hara: "We've proven we can be champions with this group. We'll get through this. We've been through tough times before." Antonio Pierce: "This team is capable of winning a championship." The 2007 Giants lost 41-17 in Minnesota to fall to 7-4, and still won a Super Bowl. That team had Plaxico Burress and Michael Strahan ..."
Giants' Bye Week Comes at Opportune Time
Comment
November 10
New York Times
 
"If the Giants (5-4) keep playing the way they did against San Diego on Sunday, they could win more games than they lose over the final seven and might even make the playoffs. This hunch is counterintuitive in New York's manic-depressive sports culture because the Chargers' 21-20 victory left the Giants with their fourth consecutive loss and their fans befuddled. But a slumping team sometimes loses a game it should win before it reverses its momentum. As with a patient in a sickbed, the fever breaks, but the illness must still run its course. Defensive end Osi Umenyiora offered the curious observation. "I'm definitely panicked right now, but it is not something we should let get into the ..."
Corey Webster in middle of Giants' tangled defensive web
Comment
November 9
New York Daily News
 
"Corey Webster's day was the kind every cornerback dreads. The Giants' top cover man factored in all three San Diego touchdowns Sunday, including the devastating 18-yard game-winning catch by Vincent Jackson with 21 seconds left in the Chargers' 21-20 win over the Giants. Webster was on Jackson on both of the wide receiver's touchdowns and was also called for a costly pass interference on Jackson that set up a 2-yard touchdown pass from Philip Rivers to tight end Kris Wilson in the third quarter. "To me, it wasn't tough," said Webster, who stood for more than 10 minutes answering questions after one of his most difficult days as a pro. "I understand that the other receiver is good and ..."
Giants need to clean up defensive flaws during bye week with playoffs looming
Comment
November 9
New York Daily News
 columnist Tim Smith
"By the time Giants cornerback Corey Webster looked back, it was too late. The ball was in the hands of Chargers receiver Vincent Jackson in the end zone, Jackson beating Webster to the outside corner to cap the winning drive with 21 seconds to play. There was no safety help for Webster, and there was no stopping the Giants' four-game losing streak, as quarterback Philip Rivers guided his team 80 yards in eight plays and 1:46 to a 21-20 victory at Giants Stadium Sunday. This was the final kick in the shins that the Giants defense dreaded. This was the anvil that drops out of the sky in the Road Runner cartoons. The Giants' defense played the part of Wile E. Coyote, flattened by something ..."
After emotionally draining loss to Chargers, New York Giants' season is on life support
Comment
November 9
New York Daily News
 columnist Gary Myers
"Tom Coughlin stopped for a moment Sunday night before heading down a hallway leading to the coaches' locker room. He had a blank look on his face as he stood and stared back into the players' locker room, saying nothing. Clearly, Coughlin was still in shock over the most excruciating regular-season loss in his six years as the Giants' coach, the fourth in a row after the 5-0 start, the one that could eventually blow up the season, if it hasn't already. "It's not the end of the world. We're not going to panic," Mathias Kiwanuka said. "We are professional athletes. We are here to do a job. We're just going to get it done. The bottom line is we got seven more games left and seven chances to ..."
Chris Snee's holding penalty a backbreaker in Giants loss to Chargers
Comment
November 9
New York Daily News
 
"It will be an excruciatingly long bye week for Giants right guard Chris Snee. His holding penalty on first down at the Chargers' 4-yard line Sunday likely cost the Giants a chance to win for the first time in four games. The Giants settled for a field goal with just over two minutes to play, and then allowed the Chargers to come back for a 21-20 win at Giants Stadium. "I let the team down," Snee said of the penalty. "It doesn't matter if it was (a good call), it was called and I let the team down. I will have to deal with that. "It should have been over. First-and-goal at the 4," Snee said. "It shouldn't have gone to (a loss). It should have been over." With the Giants up 17-14, ..."
Giants' Antonio Pierce, Danny Clark get signals crossed in loss to Chargers
Comment
November 9
New York Daily News
 
"LBs Danny Clark and Antonio Pierce appeared to have a heated exchange after the Chargers scored a third-quarter touchdown on a 2-yard pass to TE Kris Wilson. Pierce noticed too late that Wilson was uncovered and couldn't catch up. After the catch he began waving his arms and gesturing toward Clark. Clark downplayed the discussion afterward and Pierce was a no-show in the postgame locker room. Asked if the TD was his fault, Clark said, "Not sure. We haven't gotten to the bottom of it yet." HARD TYNES: Lawrence Tynes never thought his aborted attempt at a first-quarter field goal would have turned out to be the difference in last night's game. When it was, it just made him feel worse. He ..."
Snee's holding call costs Giants
Comment
November 9
New York Post
 
"The Chargers' front seven gave the Giants' offensive line fits throughout Big Blue's crushing 21-20 loss yesterday. And for all the pressure Eli Manning faced, the hits and the hurries and the harries, it was a hold that proved the most devastating mistake of all, the single biggest gaffe that led to Big Blue's fourth-straight loss. Oh, there is plenty of blame to go around, from shaky defense to farcical special teams play. But the blocking up front may have been the most insidious culprit, and their biggest mistake came in the most crucial part of the game. Cornerback Terrell Thomas's weaving 33-yard interception return set the Giants up on the San Diego 4; but on the very first play, ..."