Giants Drop Season Opener to Cowboys

Wednesday, September 5^th 2012

Post Game Recap

Final Score: Dallas Cowboys: 24 New York Giants: 17

Giants Drop Season Opener to Cowboys

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What started out as an excitement filled night at MetLife Stadium turned sour fast for the defending Super Bowl champion Giants and their fans, as the Cowboys came in and handled beat the Giants 24-17.  This was the first time that a defending super bowl champion lost their season opener since 1999. 

The Giants had some flaws exploited by the Cowboys Wednesday night, as they have some serious work to do.  The running game was again non-existent for a good portion of the game.  On defense, Tony Romo picked the Giants apart as the pass rush was not consistent in getting into the backfield and causing problems.  There was also another injury suffered at cornerback, leaving the Giants dangerously thin at the position and easily exploited by Romo.

The running game again was unable to get going for the Giants.  They also struggled to stop the Cowboys run game, recipe for a disaster for any football team.  Without Brandon Jacobs in the backfield, the Giants are less intimidating on short yardage situations, evident by their inability to score a touchdown on first and goal from inside the five and settling for a field goal.

David Wilson also had a tough debut, as he fumbled his second carry of the night and was benched for the remainder of the game after that.  Fumbling has been a problem for Wilson and the Giants were concerned about it when they drafted him.  He needs to earn the trust from the coaching staff and this will not help him.  He did show some flashes on the kick return duties, showing some of the speed and elusiveness the Giants hope he can eventually bring to the running game. 

Defensively, Demarco Murray was persistent and eventually broke through against the Giants defense, which is without run stopper Chris Canty for at least the first six weeks because of off-season surgery and being placed on the PUP list.  The backbreaker for the Giants was when they had Murray stopped behind the line of scrimmage and were unable to bring him down, looking to ease up some, which resulted in a 48 yard rush.

The improvements Dallas made to the secondary was on display tonight as well, as newly acquired Brandon Carr and first round draft pick Morris Claiborne were able to hold Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks in check.  Last season, Cruz and Nicks combined for 25 catches, 491 yards and two touchdowns in the two games between the Giants and Cowboys; Tonight Cruz and Nicks combined for 10 receptions, 96 yards and no touchdowns.  Cruz also had three drops in the game, the first time a Giants receiver has had that many drops since Mario Manningham in 2009.

One highlight for the Giants passing game was Martellus Bennett, who reeled in four balls for 40 yards and a touchdown against his old team.  Domenik Hixon also made a highlight play with the Giants down 14-3, bringing in a ball Eli Manning threw up for grabs for 39 yards.  That play set up a 10 yard touchdown run by Ahmad Bradshaw and cut the deficit to 14-10.

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Coming into the game, the Giants biggest concerns were at left tackle and right cornerback.  Sean Locklear got the call at left tackle with Will Beatty still having some problems with his back and Michael Coe got his first start in five NFL season at right corner.  Surprisingly, it was the opposite spots that struggled from the start, as David Diehl at right tackle and Corey Webster at left cornerback had problems. 

DeMarcus Ware got his 100^th career sack and didn’t stop there in the first half, accounting for two sacks on Manning in the first half by blowing by Diehl.  Webster, who had the tough assignment of shadowing Dez Bryant for most of the night, got torched on the regular.  He surrendered over 100 yards receiving, giving up big plays to Bryant and falling for a Kevin Ogletree double move that resulted in his second touchdown reception of the game. 

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Ogletree torched the Giants, which no one saw coming.  Ogletree finished the game with eight receptions, 114 yards and two touchdowns.  No one in the Giants secondary could slow down Ogletree, who stepped up big time for the Cowboys as Jason Witten was limited with a lacerated spleen and Miles Austin was still recovering from a hamstring injury, even though he caught four passes of his own for 73 yards and a touchdown.

Ogletree would have actually had a third touchdown if not for a good play by Coe, who was forced from the game shortly after with a hamstring injury.  His status for week 2 is in serious doubt, which is a problem for the Giants as the player he was starting for, Prince Amukamara, may not be available for week 2 either because of a high ankle sprain.

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With Coe out, the Giants were forced to dip even further down their depth chart and use Justin Tryon.  Tyron was subsequently picked on by Romo, as he surrendered the touchdown on first-and-thirty and also gave up the game ending first down to Ogletree on third down.

Next up for the Giants is a week 2 match-up against the much improved Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It will be a homecoming for Tampa Bay’s coach Greg Schiano, who was the former head coach at Rutgers University, and Tampa Bay’s offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan, who is the Giants former quarterbacks coach.  D.J. Ware will also make his return to MetLife Stadium since being released by the Giants at the last roster cuts of the preseason.  

New York Giants Camp Preview: Defensive Backs

A new NFL season is right around the corner as training camp is quickly approaching.  Leading up to the start of training camp, we will have a run down position-by-position for the defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants. 

The third position we will take a look at is defensive back.

The projected defensive starting backs are Corey Webster and Terrell Thomas at cornerback and Kenny Phillips and Antrel Rolle at safety.  Expected reserves to make an impact at cornerback are Jayron Hosley, Prince Amukamara, Michael Coe and Justin Tryon; at safety Tyler Sash and Stevie Brown are expected to see playing time.

New additions to the secondary this season are Hosley, Brown, cornerback Antwaun Molden, safeties Will Hill and JoJo Nicolas and defensive backs Janzen Jackson and Dante Hughes.

There are a few members from last year’s unit that will not be returning this season in Aaron Ross, Will Blackmon, Derrick Martin and Deon Grant.  Grant has the best chance of returning, as he is a great locker room presence and had such a positive impact on the Giants the last few seasons.

The player to watch out of the defensive backs is Terrell Thomas.  Thomas has been cleared for training camp and avoided a scare early on suffering a slight injury to his ACL.  Last season Thomas suffered his second career ACL tear after having an outstanding camp and looking poised to really breakout.  Thomas will upgrade the Giants defensive back unit greatly if he can return to where he was before the ACL injury; Thomas led the Giants defense in tackles the previous two seasons.

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The potential for the defensive backs to be a strength for the Giants is there.  It will be a competitive unit throughout camp and barring injury can be deep.  Coe and Tyron shined during OTA’s and mini-camps according to Thomas, as they took up snaps he left behind while taking it slowly with his injury.  General Manger Jerry Reese also added some talent with Brown, Molden and Horton being signed in addition to drafting Hosley.  Cornerback Brandon Bing also received praise from defensive coordinator Perry Fewell for his play throughout OTA’s.

Another thing to watch for is the development of Amukamara.  Amukamara injured his foot in his second career practice last season and was never able to get back on track, struggling throughout the season.  He will benefit from a full training camp and preseason this time around.  If he is unable to bounce back, look for veterans Coe and Tryon to pick up the slack and possibly Bruce Johnson, who is returning from his own season ending injury. 

Health is the biggest deterrent for this group.  Thomas, Coe, Tryon and Johnson are all returning from season-ending injuries.  Thomas already suffered a scare in camp and if he is unable to return to form the Giants will need someone to step up after Aaron Ross left to sign with the Jacksonville Jaguars.  Amukamara needed an injection in his foot to strengthen it after missing over half of last season.  With Grant remaining unsigned, the Giants are also without valuable experience and leadership in the locker room.

The wild card of this group is Amukamara.  He was brought in with high expectations as the Giants were shocked to see him fall to them in the 2011 NFL Draft with the 19^th pick.  Most of his rookie year was lost because of his foot injury and the lockout being in place but a full off-season should benefit him.  He was drafted with the expectation of being a starting cornerback for the Giants in the near future; that future could be as early as this season as he will have to take over for the departed Ross and will be first in line to take over if Thomas is unable to perform.  

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New York Giants Draft Preview: Secondary

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This is the 9^th and final installment of posts breaking down the Giants position by position for the upcoming NFL Draft.  The last position is the secondary.

Currently, the Giants have Corey Webster, Terrell Thomas, Prince Amukamara, Antwaun Molden, Bruce Johnson, Brian Witherspoon, Michael Coe, Justin Tryon and Brandon Bing at corner back on the depth chart.  At safety, the Giants currently have Antrel Rolle, Kenny Phillips, Tyler Sash, Stevie Brown, Chris Horton and Chad Jones on the depth chart.  Currently un-signed from last season for the Giants is Deon Grant, Will Blackmon and Derrick Martin.

Most moves made by the Giants so far this off-season has come in the secondary, albeit they were minor ones.  Thomas was re-signed after suffering an ACL injury during the preseason last year.  The Giants are hoping he can return to his old form as Thomas was really starting to come into his own along side Corey Webster.  Amukamara is looking to improve off what was a disappoint rookie season that was derailed by injury from the start.  Amukamara broke a bone in his foot in his second practice last off-season, and is looking to bounce back.  Recently, Amukamara received an injection to help the foot heal, but should be ready by the time training camp roles around.  Having him healthy would be a huge benefit as the Giants could use some help at cornerback after Aaron Ross left this off-season to join the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

Molden, Brown and Horton were added mostly for depth.  All three have potential to help the team on special teams since cracking the rotation will be tough.  Johnson, Coe and Tryon were all re-signed from last season.  The secondary, even though from the looks is deep, has its question marks.  Thomas, Johnson, Coe, Witherspoon and Tryon all suffered season ending injuries, so no one knows for sure how effective they will be once training camps open up. 

Rolle and Phillips return for the Giants this season, giving the Giants one of the best safety combinations in the NFL.  Popular veteran Deon Grant though still remains unsigned and it remains to be seen what the Giants do with him.  His veteran leadership is a quality that would not hurt the Giants adding.  There is a possibility the Giants bring him into the fold later in the off-season, but they do like what they have in last years 6^th round pick Tyler Sash.  Adding linebacker Keith Rivers may make Grant expendable also because he should not need to use three safeties on the field together as much. 

Chad Jones suffered injuries in a horrific car accident after being selected by the Giants in 2010.  The accident almost cost Jones his life and left leg, but he is attempting to return this off-season.  If Jones is able to return and give the Giants anything, it would be considered a huge bonus.  Jones is an inspiration to everyone in the organization attempting a comeback from such a life changing experience. 

The last time the Giants went secondary in the draft was last year, when they selected Amukamara in the first round out of Nebraska and Sash in the sixth round out of Iowa.  The Giants have been taking a look at a number defensive backs and it makes sense. 

The front office will have a lot of decisions to make after this season, having only six defensive backs under contract past this year (Webster, Amukamara, Thomas, Rolle, Sash and Jones).  The Giants would like to retain Phillips as his contract is up this season, but you never know.  Reese always has an eye on the future, which is what the draft is for so seeing the Giants take some secondary players would be a surprise to no one.  The fact they have so many players returning from injuries is also a concern and reason for the Giants to look secondary in this year’s draft. 

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There are a number of options for the Giants in the draft this year.  If Notre Dame Safety Harrison Smith is there at 32, the Giants will have to take a long hard look at him.  Another player to keep an eye on is Dre Kirkpatrick out of Alabama.  He has told the Giants they will need to trade up to get him, but there are a few people that think he may be in for a fall down the draft board.  Janoris Jenkins formerly of Florida University, out of Northern Alabama comes with a lot of baggage but is highly talented.  ProFootballTalk.com has said that the Giants have had Arizona State cornerback Omar Bolden for two visits, so keep an eye out for him on draft day. 

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With so many question marks surrounding the secondary this season and into the future, it would seem like drafting a cornerback or safety would be a logical move.  I would place the necessity for a player in the secondary to be drafted at a 5 for the Giants.

So there it is the last installment of the NFL Draft preview for the New York Football Giants.  Leave comments to let us know what you thought of the coverage and how you think we did.  Hope you all enjoy watching the draft this weekend. 

New York Giants Draft Preview: Special Teams

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This is the 6^th installment in the series of posts breaking down the Giants position by position for the upcoming NFL Draft.  The next position up is special teams. 

The Giants depth chart currently includes Kicker Lawrence Tynes, Punter Steve Weatherford, Long Snapper Zak DeOssie, Punt Returner Domenik Hixon, and Kick Returners Jerrel Jernigan, Da’Rel Scott and D.J. Ware.  Will Blackmon is the only current special teamer still on the free agent wire for the Giants.

Last season the special teams saw a vast improvement throughout all aspects in 2011 compared to 2010.  One area that saw a glaring improvement was in the punting game.  After beating out Matt Dodge in training camp, Weatherford provided clutch and outstanding punting.  Tynes was efficient, going 19-24 on his Field Goal attempts and kicking 34 touchbacks.

The coverage teams were also vastly improved.  Neither the punt return or kick off coverage allowed a return touchdown on the season.  A reason for this was the infusion of young talent through the draft in Greg Jones, Jacquian Williams and Tyler Sash and the signing of undrafted free agent Mark Herzlich. 

At times superstars Jason Pierre-Paul and Justin Tuck were seen on the special team units attempting to block field goals and punts.  Giants’ fans will remember JPP blocked field goal against the Dallas Cowboys in week 15 that very well could have saved the Giants season.  Let’s not also forget to mention Corner Back Justin Tryon, who contributed in his short amount of time before suffering a season ending injury.  I distinctly remember the play he made on a punt against the Miami Dolphins and Reggie Bush.  It was the play Tryon sadly got hurt on, but he was still able to make the play and stop the explosive Bush. 

The return game was the only thing that was not so stellar for the Giants. They averaged only 6.1 yards per punt return and 23.3 yards per kick return.  Hixon is a capable return man and his return is nothing but positive for the team.  But he is a huge injury concern, and the other main kick and punt return men all either left the team in free agency or remain unsigned.  Hixon, Jernigan and Scott are all capable of being good return men because of the tools they posses.  Ware also has experience as a kick returner.

The last time the Giants selected a special teamer in the draft was 2010 with Matt Dodge and we all know how that ended up.  Don’t expect the Giants to take any special teamers outside of possibly an electric return man.  The Giants are more than set at Kicker, Punter and Long Snapper.  Some possibilities are Arkansas’ Joe Adams who led the FBS in yard per punt return at an average of 16.9 or Keshawn Martin from Michigan State who was mentioned earlier in the WR post.  Another return man to keep an eye on is Florida’s Chris Rainey, who is dangerous in space and is capable of being a good return man in the NFL. I would put the need for a special teamer at a 4 for the Giants, only because it would be beneficial to add a spark plug in the return game.  Other than a returner, the need for special teamers would be a 1 on a scale on 1-10.

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