Giants Win Preseason Finale in Super Bowl Rematch

Wednesday, August 30^th 2012

Final Score: New England Patriots: 3 New York Giants: 6

Giants Win Super Bowl Rematch in Preseason Finale

The New York Giants defense of their Super Bowl title is officially underway after closing out the preseason with a 6-3 victory over the New England Patriots Wednesday night at MetLife Stadium.  It was an ugly game for the night, as the Patriots sat all of their starters and the Giants ones played seldom. 

The offense for the Giants looked sluggish, but the main goal was to get through the game healthy heading into the regular season.  This was a more important game for the backups who are fighting for roster spots as the Giants will need to cut their roster down to 53 men Friday.

Hakeem Nicks made his preseason debut Wednesday night, making one catch for six yards.  Nicks has performed well in practice since being cleared from his broken foot in May.  The most important thing was that he made it through the game without any setbacks and looks ready for opening night next week. 

“It felt really good to be out there for the first time this preseason,” Nicks said.  “Went out there, got my feet wet, got a couple reps.  It was exactly what I needed to know that I’ll be ready for next week.”

Nicks continued, “It was pretty much what I expected. No problem with the foot.  It felt good and I’ll be ready to start the season.”

Nicks’ outlook is positive news for the Giants who aren’t without problems heading into the season opener next week against the Cowboys.  The offensive line struggled mightily, as Chris Snee, Will Beatty and James Brewer all sat on the sidelines with injuries.  The running game was unable to get going and three sacks were given up in the first half alone. 

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Andre Brown was able to put on a good performance in the second half behind good, hard running.  The offensive line still has some work to do if they are to keep Manning clean and have a successful running game.  Left tackle is one position to look at, as Beatty has returned to practice but Sean Locklear has been solid throughout his starts in the preseason. 

The competition in the Giants backfield at running back will go down to the last minute before roster cuts.  David Wilson struggled in his start for the injured Ahmad Bradshaw, gaining only 13 yards on eight carries.  Wilson should still open the season as the primary backup behind Bradshaw because of the work he has put in the rest of the preseason. 

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Brown had an impressive start to the second half, gaining 52 yards rushing and catching a nine-yard reception as well.  But Brown did show some exhaustion, fumbling the ball in the fourth quarter near the Giants goal line that was recovered by Bear Pascoe at the one-yard line. 

D.J Ware came in as the third-down back behind Wilson, but did not get extended playing time as the Giants know what they have in Ware and wanted to see more from Brown and Da’Rel Scott.

Coming up for the Giants is the last roster cut Friday and then the season opener next Wednesday night at MetLife Stadium against the rival Dallas Cowboys.

Giants Drop Third Preseason Game to Bears

Friday, August 24^th 2012

Final Score: Chicago Bears: 20 New York Giants: 17

Giants Drop Third Preseason Game to Bears

In what is the biggest tune-up for the regulars before the regular season begins, the Giants had a good performance.  The starters looked sharp for the Giants, performing very well in the two-plus quarters of action they saw. 

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Eli Manning had a good night for the Giants, completing 17 of 21 passes for 148 yards and a touchdown.  He looked to be in mid-season form and will most likely see very limited or no action in the last preseason game Wednesday night against the Patriots.  Manning’s backfield mate for the game David Wilson was electrifying as well.

Wilson, who was making the start for the injured Ahmad Bradshaw, showed many of the qualities the Giants thought he had when they made him their first round pick in this past season’s draft.  Wilson had five carries for 49 yards and two receptions for 26 yards.  He showed the big play ability the Giants are hoping he brings, with a 20-yard run and a 29-yard reception. 

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Wilson was impressive, using an array of moves to make plays for the Giants offense.  He looked fasted, broke tackles and was physical finishing off his runs always falling forwards and not being driven back. 

The rest of the running backs did what they were expected to as well, as D.J. Ware was brought in on third downs behind Wilson and Andre Brown got goal line duty, scoring a touchdown.  Da’Rel Scott was also impressive in a strong outing, making an impact on special teams as well.

With the performances in the preseason so far, the primary backup to Bradshaw should be Wilson’s job to lose.  He has performed well and brings the most to the Giants offense of all the running backs.

The receiving core was highlighted by the play of Ramses Barden.  Barden had his best showing of the preseason, snagging three receptions for 46 yards and a touchdown.  He also drew a pass interference flag on a fade pattern in the end zone.

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Barden was squarely on the roster bubble heading into the last two games of the preseason, needing strong performances to show the Giants he deserved to stay on the roster.  For at least one game, he stepped up.  Developing chemistry with Manning will go a long way for Barden, who hasn’t been able to get the necessary reps in the pat because of injuries.

The special teams for the Giants were a strong point Friday night as well.  Steve Weatherford had another terrific night punting, and Da’Rel Scott made a big play blocking a punt.  Scott probably cemented his spot on the roster with his performance on special teams, as the Giants value players who can do the little things and making plays on special teams is always a positive.  On the kickoff after the Giants scored off Scott’s block, Mark Herzlich was run into by Eric Weems, causing a fumble that the Bears recovered on their own two-yard line. 

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All wasn’t positive for the Giants though, as the injury bug bit again in the secondary.  For the second straight week, the Giants lost a starting cornerback to injury; this time it was Prince Amukamara. 

Amukamara suffered a high ankle sprain when tackling Brandon Marshall in the first quarter.  His x-rays taken were negative, but a high ankle sprain can take weeks to heal. 

The injury is a big blow to the Giants, who were hoping Amukamara would be able to step into the hole left when Terrell Thomas was injured.  Thomas remains out indefinitely after re-aggravating his torn ACL and Jayron Hosley is still sidelined with turf toe.  A Hosley return would go a long way for the Giants as he was performing well in the secondary and on special teams as a punt returner.

Michael Coe, Justin Tryon and Bruce Johnson all have a big opportunity to make a name for themselves now that they will be pressed into playing time. 

Mathias Kiwanuka also suffered a strained groin, but he has already said that he will ready for the regulars season opener against the Dallas Cowboys.

Up next for the Giants is the Monday deadline to cut their roster down to 75 players and then the preseason finale Wednesday night against the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium.

Giants Fall to Jaguars to Open Preseason

Friday, August 10^th 2012

Giants Drop Preseason Opener in Jacksonville

The first game of the preseason for the New York Giants gave an opportunity for players to show why they deserve a spot on the 53 man roster with the defending champions.  It also gave some reasons as to why some people shouldn’t. 

There isn’t much to take from preseason games other than getting a look at newcomers. 

David Wilson, the Giants first round pick out of Virginia Tech, was the last running back to take a carry on Friday night for Big Blue.  On his first carry he was sandwiched by tow Jaguars and then broke off a 26 yard burst up the middle quick enough that if you blinked you would have missed it. On his third carry he was hammered for a five yard loss. 

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Wilson also caught two passes, the first of which was a screen play in which he ran over two Jaguars.  In his short appearance, Wilson showed the ability to break the big play and toughness, two things the Giants need from their running game this season that was lacking last year. 

The battle for the backup running back position behind Ahmad Bradshaw looks like it is going to be fierce throughout camp.  In addition to Wilson, the Giants also have D.J. Ware and Andre Brown fighting it out. 

Ware was solid, getting the first crack after Bradshaw Friday night.  Ware got five carries for 30 yards, including a two-yard touchdown, showing elusiveness and quickness.

Brown got the next shot and looked impressive his first two carries which resulted in 19 yards.  He was later stuffed in a third-and-one attempt, finishing with seven carries for 25 yards and one reception for four yards. 

Second round pick Rueben Randle was not to be outshined by his fellow rookie, as he showed some glimpses of his potential as well.  Randle made two receptions on the night, the first a 21 yard catch and the second one a six-yard touchdown in the corner of the end zone.  The touchdown reception was a good look at Randle taking the size advantage he has and putting it to use.

The wide receiving corps are set at the top with Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks, once he returns from injury, but there will be a competition for the third receiver spot.  Randle had a strong showing but will have to hold off veterans Domenik Hixon, who sat with a hamstring injury and is returning from an ACL tear last season, and Ramses Barden, as well as second year player Jerel Jernigan. 

Jernigan just missed making a spectacular play with one hand as it seemed Jaguars corner Williams Middleton was holding down his other hand.  Isiah Stanback did make a highlight reel play later in the game, snagging the ball out of the air with one hand for a touchdown off a pass from David Carr.

Last season’s first round pick Prince Amukamara has some expectation so fill this season especially if he is needed to fill in for Terrell Thomas.  Amukamara struggled in the beginning of the game, being targeted by the Jaguars offense throughout the first drive, getting burned multiple times and eventually surrendering a touchdown to Jaguars receiver Cecil Shorts. 

Amukamara would redeem himself the next drive, stripping Shorts of the ball resulting in the Giants recovering the fumble.  Amukamara is the guy the Giants want replacing Thomas if it comes down to it, he just needs to get more reps under his belt after a rocky rookie campaign.

Free agent tight end signed Martellus Bennett has made some waves in training camp with his mouth and backed it up at least for one game Friday night.  Bennett referred to himself as the “Black Unicorn” because of his blend of speed and size and showed off some of those talents reeling in three catches for 27 yards and a touchdown.  The Giants are expecting good things from Bennett not only in the passing game but blocking as well.

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The rookies from Virginia Tech, Wilson and cornerback Jayron Hosley, had impressive showings on special teams.  Special teams for the Giants were weak last year, lacking an explosion in the return game; Wilson and Hosley have the ability to change that this season. 

Wilson averaged 38 yards a kick return, highlighted by a 48 yard return in the second quarter.  Hosley made a costly mistake muffing a punt, but did have solid returns before the muff going for 34 yards on three returns.

Hosley was also solid on defense, getting a sack and showing solid coverage skills.  If Hosley is able to limit his mistakes, he has an outstanding chance of being a real contributor this season. 

Other Giants to make positive impacts were Adrian Tracy, looking to make an impact in the spot vacated by Dave Tollefson this season.  Mark Herzlich also looked strong throughout the game at the linebacker position and could potentially push Chase Blackburn for his starting spot. 

Next up for the Giants is a meeting with the Jets at MetLife Stadium August 18^th.  It will be the first look for the Giants at Tim Tebow. 

New York Giants Draft Preview: Running Back

This is the second installment in the series of posts breaking down the Giants position by position for the upcoming NFL Draft.  The next position up is Running Back.

At Running Back, the Giants depth chart currently includes Ahmad Bradshaw, D.J. Ware, Da’Rel Scott, Andre Brown and Henry Hynoski.

Last season the running game for the Giants was non-existent, finishing with 1,427 yards, which was the least in the NFL.  The outlook for the Giants running game is murky currently with Brandon Jacobs leaving in free agency and Andre Brown being suspended for the first four games of the upcoming season.  It also does not help that Bradshaw received an injection to help the healing process of the fracture he has in his ankle.  Bradshaw says he is capable of a bigger work load with Jacobs leaving town, but it is one thing to say something; showing it is a whole different case.  Bradshaw has surgically repaired feet and ankles and can break down at any second. 

Ware got sporadic playing time last season, seeing his most action in garbage time.  Ware was also seen a lot for draw plays and on screen passes. 

Scott was a burner at Maryland University and has shown that speed in the action he has gotten in pre-season games.  The coaching staff though does not have trust in him, something he will have to earn if he wants to get some serious playing time that means something in the regular season.  Scott making the team was impressive enough as a 7^th round pick.  Without much of an off-season to work on his game because of the lockout I give Scott kudos for making the team at all and being talked about now.  He will be given all the opportunities to make a positive impression on the coaching staff this time around. 

The Giants drafted Brown in the 4^th round out of North Carolina State in the 2009 NFL Draft.  The Giants like the skills Brown brings to the table, but will be without him for the first four games of the season as he serves his suspension because he violated the league’s policy on performance enhancing substances. 

Hynoski was a nice surprise for the Giants last season.  He was yet another shrewd move by GM Jerry Reese, adding Hynoski as an undrafted free agent during the off-season.  Hynoski should only improve as a blocker going into his second season.  What the real surprise was the hands he has coming out of the backfield.  As the season wore on, Hynoski showed good hands coming out of the backfield as a safety option for Eli Manning.

Running Back is an interesting position for the Giants heading into the draft.  They need to prepare themselves in case Ware and Scott are not ready or capable of increased roles in the offense.  They could, at the very least, take a running back to groom, much like the same situation they can have at Quarterback.  Bradshaw is a huge injury risk as well, so they need to protect themselves in case an injury occurs to their starting running back.  Tom Coughlin likes the speed and power combo Bradshaw and Jacobs provides, but there are not many running backs that are 6’4 and 265 pounds like Jacobs available. 

The last time the Giants selected a running back in the draft was last year, 2011, when they selected Scott in the 7^th round.  Do not be surprised if the Giants snag a running back this year as well.  It is not the Giants M.O. to spend high picks on running backs, (Ron Dayne was selected in the first round by the Giants in 2000.  Since then, they have not selected a running back higher than the 4^th round) instead finding gems later in the draft like Bradshaw (7^th round pick) and Jacobs (4^th round pick). 

Some names to keep an eye on are David Wilson of Virginia Tech and Lamichael James of Oregon.  Both are explosive runners who could be available when the Giants turn to pick comes around in the 2^nd round.  The Giants strategy is usually to take the best player available, but this is definitely a need position for them this season.  With so much uncertainty surrounding the backfield, I would put the necessity of adding a running back at 9 on a scale of 1-10 for the Giants.