Sep 032016
 
Will Johnson, New York Giants (June 6, 2016)

Will Johnson – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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GIANTS CUT ROSTER TO 53 PLAYERS…
The New York Giants made 22 roster moves on Saturday in order reduce the roster to 53 players as required by the NFL.

The Giants waived or terminated the contracts of the following players:

  • QB Logan Thomas
  • RB Andre Williams
  • WR Geremy Davis
  • WR Darius Powe
  • WR Anthony Dablé
  • OL Adam Gettis
  • OL Dillon Farrell
  • OL Ryan Seymour
  • DE Stansly Maponga
  • DT Jermelle Cudjo
  • DT Louis Nix
  • LB Brad Bars
  • LB Ishaq Williams
  • CB Donte Deayon
  • CB Michael Hunter
  • CB Leon McFadden
  • S Justin Currie
  • S Andrew Adams

The Giants placed the following player on Injured Reserve:

  • FB/TE Will Johnson (burner)

The Giants waived/injured the following players:

  • OL Emmett Clearly (finger)
  • OL Jake Rodgers (ankle)

As expected, place kicker Josh Brown was placed on the NFL’s Reserve/Suspended list for a 2015 domestic violence incident. He will be eligible to return to the team on September 12th, a day after the first regular-season game.

“Football is a people business,” said Head Coach Ben McAdoo. “Building relationships, developing chemistry and improving in our game. When you approach it that way, it makes this time of year even harder because you develop those relationships with these players, and you’re all working together toward the same goal. That’s the way it goes in this business. You can’t take everybody with you, especially at the beginning. But they’re fine young men, they handled themselves well, and we wish them the best moving forward.

“It was a challenge. We let a lot of good players go, some who will be playing for other teams. And at some point you may see some of them back here. It was tough. It wasn’t just one position. You wanted to make sure you did what was best and took the best 53 and rounded out the roster the best way you can. But there were some good players we had to let go.

“I’m very comfortable with two quarterbacks on the roster. Eli (Manning) has played a lot of football. Ryan (Nassib) is a guy who had some ups and downs of late, but he’s a guy we have confidence in. He can put the players around him in a position to be successful and take advantage of it.” 

The most surprising cut was running back Andre Williams. “Andre is a guy that played some good football for us,” coach Ben McAdoo said. “We’re going to miss him. It was another one of those really tough (roster) decisions to make. We feel that with Rashad (Jennings), Shane (Vereen), Orleans (Darkwa), Paul Perkins, and Bobby Rainey, we have some versatility there to play all three downs, and on special teams as well.”

With Will Johnson placed on Injured Reserve, the Giants currently have no fullbacks on the roster. “It’s unfortunate that it’s come to this,” McAdoo said. “(Johnson) came in and played some good ball for us. He’s a guy that we think highly of… We’ll do (fullback) by committee.”

Wide receivers Tavarres King and Roger Lewis both made the 53-man roster over wide receiver Geremy Davis.

“Roger and T.K. are two guys that really took a big jump,” McAdoo said. “They hit the ground running in the offseason, made tremendous strides and got better and improved. They pushed each other along with the rest of that group. There was great competition in that group. Geremy was a guy we drafted here that we think very highly of. Sometimes, you have to make those tough decisions.”

Offensive center/guard Brett Jones, the former Canadian Football League player who spend the entire 2015 season on Injured Reserve with a knee injury, also made the team.

“Brett has made some big jumps, some big gains,” McAdoo said. “It’s a shame what happened to him last season. He’s been able to rebound. He’s a great student of the game. He’s a guy that has improved tremendously and will add some versatility inside for us… We look forward to getting (recently re-signed) Will (Beatty) out there on the practice field and getting his legs underneath him. He’ll be working hard to get in football shape and playing multiple positions for us.”

Rookie undrafted defensive end Romeo Okwara also man the 53-man roster. “He really came on in camp,” McAdoo said. “He really didn’t do a lot in the offseason because he had a hamstring injury. But he bounced back. He takes his coaching well and he really plays with a great amount of energy and passion… I think we have a nice group of defensive ends. (Olivier Vernon, Jason Pierre-Paul, Owamagbe Odighizuwa, Kerry Wynn, and Okwara) all have some value inside, and they can play inside and outside for us. They can play the run and play the pass. It’s a good group.”

Others to make the squad were safety Mykkele Thompson and cornerback Trevin Wade.  “Mykkele is a guy who showed up and made some plays for us on special teams,” McAdoo said. “Wade really played tremendously the other night and took advantage of his opportunity vs. a great quarterback and a great offense, and showed very well.

“The roster is a living, breathing organism. It never stops changing. There’s always movement in the roster. Things are always moving.”

RYAN MALLECK WAIVED OFF OF INJURED RESERVE…
The New York Giants have waived tight end Ryan Malleck off of Injured Reserve. The Giants waived/injured Malleck and then placed him on Injured Reserve with a burner earlier this week. The Giants signed Malleck as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2016 NFL Draft.

UNIFORM NUMBER CHANGES…
The following New York Giants players have changed their uniform jersey numbers:

  • CB Eli Apple: from #28 to #24
  • RB Paul Perkins: from #39 to #28
  • OT Will Beatty: from #64 to #65
  • DT Montori Hughes: from #79 to #99
Sep 012016
 
Tavarres King, New York Giants (September 1, 2016)

Tavarres King – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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NEW YORK GIANTS 17 – NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 9…
Minus many of their best offensive and defensive players, the New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots in the preseason finale Thursday night at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Giants finished the preseason with a 2-2 record.

Head Coach Ben McAdoo decided to sit quarterback Eli Manning, wide receiver Odell Beckham, center Weston Richburg, defensive ends Jason Pierre-Paul and Vernon Olivier, defensive tackles Damon Harrison and Johnathan Hanks, and cornerbacks Janoris Jenkins and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Offensive tackle Will Beatty and place kicker Josh Brown suited up but did not play.

On the other hand, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady played the entire first half against mostly a second- and third-team defense that performed admirably well. In six first-half Patriots drives, the Giants forced three turnovers and allowed only one scoring drive: a 9-play, 67-yard effort that ended with a 7-yard touchdown pass by Brady. The 2-point conversion attempt failed.

New England’s first drive ended when cornerback Trevin Wade stepped in front of Brady’s intended receiver for the interception. Later in the 1st quarter, safety Andrew Adams forced ex-Giants tight end Martellus Bennett to fumble. Defensive tackle Montori Hughes recovered the loose ball. The Patriots drove deep into Giants territory in the 2nd quarter, but defensive end Kerry Wynn forced the running back to fumble after a short reception with linebacker Mark Herzlich recovering at the Giants 8-yard line.

Quarterback Ryan Nassib started and played into the 4th quarter before giving way to Logan Thomas. Nassib struggled again for the most part, completing 16-of-29 passes for 210 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Out of their seven first-half possessions, the Giants had two long drives: one 15-play, 59-yard possession that ended with a 25-yard field goal by place kicker Randy Bullock; and the second a 6-play, 63-yard possession that ended with an interception at the Patriots 2-yard line with seven seconds left in the half.

At the break, the Patriots led 6-3.

The Giants defensive reserves remained stingy in the second half, allowing only one scoring drive: a 16-play, 66-yard march that resulted in a 32-yard field goal. Meanwhile, the Giants offense scored two touchdowns. On the team’s first possession of the second half, Nassib connected with wide receiver Tavarres King on a 59-yard catch-and-run for a go-ahead touchdown. The next two Giants drives only each picked up one first down. But in the 4th quarter, with Thomas at quarterback, the Giants drove 79 yards in 13 plays with the final snap being a 17-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Roger Lewis with 3:49 to go in the game.

Offensively, the leading rushers for the Giants were Bobby Rainey (7 carries for 38 yards), Orleans Darkwa (9 carries for 37 yards), and Andre Williams (10 carries for 35 yards). Paul Perkins fumbled the ball away. The leading receivers were King (4 catches for 80 yards and a touchdown), Rainey (3 catches for 37 yards), Lewis (3 catches for 30 yards and a touchdown), Geremy Davis (3 catches for 30 yards), and Perkins (3 catches for 29 yards).

Defensively, linebacker Mark Herzlich had 8 tackles, 1 sack, 1 tackle for a loss, and 1 fumble recovery. Defensive tackle Montori Hughes had a sack and a fumble recovery. Defensive ends Stansly Maponga and Romeo Okwara each had sacks too. Defensive end Kerry Wynn and safety Andrew Adams forced fumbles. Cornerback Trevin Wade had an interception. Officially, the Giants had 13 hits on quarterbacks, 10 pass defenses, and 7 tackles for a loss – all high totals.

Video highlights/lowlights are available at Giants.com.

INJURY REPORT…
Not playing were fullback/tight end Will Johnson (burner), linebacker Jonathan Casillas (ribs), linebacker Jasper Brinkley (knee), linebacker B.J. Goodson (concussion), cornerback Leon Hall (concussion), and safety Darian Thompson (shoulder).

POST-GAME REACTION…
Transcripts and video clips of post-game media sessions with Head Coach Ben McAdoo and the following players are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

NIKITA WHITLOCK, MATT LACOSSE, AND RYAN MALLECK TO IR…
Fullback Nikita Whitlock (foot), tight end Matt LaCosse (knee), and tight end Ryan Malleck, who were waived/injured by the New York Giants earlier this week, passed through waivers and were added to New York’s Injured Reserve.

ARTICLES…

Aug 172016
 
Josh Brown, New York Giants (August 22, 2015)

Josh Brown – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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JOSH BROWN SUSPENDED ONE GAME – WILL MISS OPENER…
New York Giants place kicker Josh Brown has been suspended for one regular-season game without pay for violating the NFL Personal Conduct Policy. Brown will miss the opener against the Dallas Cowboys. No specifics were given on the reason for the suspension.

“While I do not agree with the suspension, I will accept it,” said Brown. “I have exhausted the appeals process and have no other options along those lines. I will continue to work hard for this team, and I have tremendous confidence in my teammates and in my ability to move on and contribute to the team.”

“We have been supportive of Josh and will continue to be, but we accept the league’s decision,” said Head Coach Ben McAdoo.

The Giants currently have two place kickers on the roster, the other being Tom Obarski. The Giants signed Obarski to a reserve/future contract in January 2016. Obarski was originally signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2015 NFL Draft, but he did not make the team.

GIANTS SIGN JOE POWELL…
The New York Giants signed cornerback Joe Powell on Wednesday. Powell played for the semi-pro Portsmouth Mustangs in 2014, the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks of the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL) in 2015, and the Cleveland Gladiators of the Arena Football League (AFL) in 2016. He earned PIFL “Defensive Rookie of the Year” honors in 2015 after breaking the league record with 11 interceptions, including two he returned for touchdowns. In the AFL, Powell intercepted seven passes in nine games, returning four of the picks for touchdowns.

NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
New York Giants linebacker J.T. Thomas (hamstring) remains on the Physically-Unable-to-Perform (PUP) List.

Wide receiver Victor Cruz (groin), wide receiver Geremy Davis (hamstring), tight end Will Johnson (burner), left guard Justin Pugh (bruised shoulder), defensive end Kerry Wynn (groin), cornerback Eli Apple (strained leg muscle), and Matt Smalley (dislocated shoulder) did not practice.

“(Cruz) had a bounce-back day today,” said Head Coach Ben McAdoo. “He’s out there running on the side and looked pretty good. Of course, you’d like to get him in team reps and individual, but we’ll progress that way…He was able to do a little bit more today than he has…We’ll see how he wakes up and how he got through today.”

“(Pugh) wasn’t out at practice today, so it’s serious if he’s not practicing,” said McAdoo. “I don’t know that the scan showed anything, but I’m not a doctor.”

Fullback Nikita Whitlock (burner) returned to practice.

AUGUST 17, 2016 NEW YORK GIANTS PRACTICE REPORT…
Some snippets from various media sources:

  • With Justin Pugh not practicing, Bobby Hart was the first-team left guard.
  • Quarterback Eli Manning connected with wide receiver Odell Beckham on a deep pass, beating safety/cornerback Bennett Jackson. Manning also hit wide receiver Myles White deep. (VIDEO)
  • Kelvin Sheppard was the middle linebacker with the first-team defense and also in there with the first-team nickel defense.
  • Bennett Jackson, who was playing corner today, intercepted quarterback Logan Thomas in 7-on-7 drills. (VIDEO)
  • Wide receiver Anthony Dable made a leaping catching on a crossing pattern over the middle.

HEAD COACH BEN MCADOO…
The transcript of Ben McAdoo’s press conference on Wednesday is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available at Giants.com.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

ARTICLES…

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The Giants practice on Thursday at 11:15 AM. There is no media availability on Friday as the team will be traveling to Buffalo for Saturday’s preseason game against the Bills.

Aug 152016
 
Odell Beckham, Adam Henry, and Victor Cruz; New York Giants (July 30, 2016)

Odell Beckham, Adam Henry, and Victor Cruz – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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AUGUST 15, 2016 NEW YORK GIANTS TRAINING CAMP REPORT…
The New York Giants held their thirteenth and final summer training camp practice on Monday at Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Training camp is now officially over.

INJURY REPORT…
New York Giants linebacker J.T. Thomas (hamstring) remains on the Physically-Unable-to-Perform (PUP) List.

Fullback Nikita Whitlock (burner), wide receiver Victor Cruz (groin), wide receiver Geremy Davis (hamstring), tight end Will Johnson (burner), defensive end Kerry Wynn (groin), and cornerback Eli Apple (knee) did not practice.

“No (update on Cruz),” said Head Coach Ben McAdoo. “Just the status quo… we’re building him up to get to a position where we can make an evaluation. He had the hiccup, hoping to get him some work on Wednesday… Victor and I had a nice conversation yesterday afternoon. We talked about some different things that may be able to help moving forward, and I’ll let him share that. I’m not going to share that; I’ll keep our conversation private.”

“We’re still not giving up on Cruz,” said General Manager Jerry Reese on WFAN. “Hopefully, he’ll make it back.”

Wide receiver Sterling Shepard (groin) was limited. “No, there was no setback,” said McAdoo of Shepard.

Tight end Larry Donnell (dehydration), right guard John Jerry (illness), and cornerback Matt Smalley (shoulder) left practice early.

PRACTICE NOTES…
Some snippets from various media sources:

  • The offense seemed out of sorts today and had a rough practice.
  • Giants dime defense showed a look with Olivier Vernon and Jason Pierre-Paul switching sides with Johnathan Hankins and Romeo Okwara playing defensive tackle. Keenan Robinson was the lone linebacker. The outside corners were Janoris Jenkins and Donte Deayon with Leon Hall, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Darian Thompson, and Landon Collins (in the box) inside.
  • Safety Landon Collins broke up two passes, one intended for tight end Matt LaCosse and the other for wide receiver Myles White.
  • Quarterback Ryan Nassib hit wide receiver Anthony Dable for a big play against cornerback Trevin Wade. Dable also made a one-handed touchdown catch on a throw from quarterback Logan Thomas.
  • Quarterback Logan Thomas hit wide receiver Kadron Boone deep against cornerback Matt Smalley. Thomas then found wide receiver Darius Powe, who made a nice catch, against Smalley.
  • Taking probably too much time, quarterback Eli Manning eventually found tight end Matt LaCosse for a touchdown against safety Landon Collins.
  • Emmett Cleary came in with the first unit at right guard when John Jerry (illness) left the field. Bobby Hart later got some work in at right guard as well.
  • Quarterback Ryan Nassib connected with wide receiver K.J. Maye in the back corner of the end zone for a touchdown against cornerback Donte Deayon.
  • Quarterback Logan Thomas threw a strike to tight end Jerell Adams for a touchdown against linebacker Brad Bars.
  • With no healthy fullback available, tight end Ryan Malleck received a goal line carry, but he was unable to score.
  • In the 2-minute drill, quarterback Eli Manning hit wide receiver Roger Lewis for a touchdown against cornerback Donte Deayon. Manning went 5-of-5 on this drive with Lewis having two catches.
  • Linebacker Jonathan Casillas stopped running back Shane Vereen on a two-point conversion running attempt.
  • Cornerback Michael Hunter intercepted quarterback Ryan Nassib to end another 2-minute drive on a pass intended for wide receiver K.J. Maye.

HEAD COACH BEN MCADOO…
The transcript of Ben McAdoo’s press conference on Monday is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available at Giants.com.

ARTICLES…

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
Training camp is officially over. The Giants will be off Tuesday and return to practice on Wednesday.

Aug 132016
 
Stansly Maponga, New York Giants (August 12 2016)

Stansly Maponga – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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SATURDAY BEN MCADOO CONFERENCE CALL…
New York Giants Head Coach Ben McAdoo addressed the media by conference call on Saturday to discuss the team’s 27-10 preseason loss to the Miami Dolphins. Coach McAdoo provided an injury update on CB Eli Apple (knee), WR Sterling Shepard (groin), WR Geremy Davis (hamstring), and TE Will Johnson (burner).

Opening Statement: I thought last night what we did well, as a team, we rolled with the punches early on with the weather delay. Something that’s challenging to do. You know, you go out, you warm-up, you cool down and you have to go back out and do it again. I thought the first units came out of the gate fairly quickly, fast, and were physical. From a substitution perspective, communication and focus was on point. We had 11 on all of our snaps, which is encouraging for the first game…easier said than done. From a game management perspective, we were clean.

Some things we need to work on: obviously the most important thing is taking care of The Duke, didn’t do a great job of that, put the ball on the ground way too much, too many turnovers. Sudden change defense, something we need to work on as well. They’re tied together there, so when the offense turns the ball over, return team turns the ball over, the defense picks it up. With that being said, we were minus-three on the turnover ratio, and if you were minus-three last year, the teams were 2-46, so tough to win football games that way. Tackling, and long stride, short stride need to improve for 60 minutes. We started well, but we let it slip as the game went on. Our blocking fundamentals and physicality and pass protecting needs to improve. We weren’t firm up inside the pocket, especially when the second group got in there, we need to firm that up. We need to cut out the pre-snap penalties. Where we go from here, we’re going to throw effort at everything. It’s going to be hot this week, we’re going to work through it and we look forward to moving on.

Q: With Ryan Nassib’s performance last night, how much of that was him and how much of that was a lack of solid protection?

A: He didn’t always have clean protection, but Ryan still had an opportunity to make some plays. He needs to throw the balls out there a couple of times and I think he would have had an opportunity to make some big plays. I would have liked to see him hit the post to Sterling (Shepard). Ryan’s going to move on, he’s going to learn from this experience and he’s going to bounce back.

Q: Speaking of Sterling, do you have an update on injured players?

A: Sterling, we don’t think it’s serious. He’s a guy that we’re going to put through individual tomorrow, we’re going to wrap him up and see if he can practice after the individual.

Q: What about some of the other guys? Eli Apple?

A: Eli went for a scan; I don’t have anything new on Eli at this point. Geremy Davis doesn’t look like he’s going to practice tomorrow but has a mild strain. Will Johnson, we’re waiting to hear more back there, but it looks like he’ll be out at this point.

Q: You said Apple’s going to get a scan?

A: Yeah, Eli Apple is going to get a scan, I haven’t heard anything since the scan.

Q: On what? What is he getting a scan on?

A: On his knee… His left knee.

Q: What positions do you feel that you are deep in? Do you feel any of the units have a big drop off?

A:  When you take a look at it, I think the receiver group is fairly decent. We are young there at some spots, but I think we have some good depth there. We have some depth at the running back position. The tight end group, I think, has some nice depth and competition. We have some young players on the defensive line; it was encouraging to see them take a step forward yesterday. The cornerback group is an interesting group as well. The second offensive line stepped in there and we need to see some more out of them, we need to make some progress there. We need to develop those guys. They certainly have it in them, but we didn’t play that way last night in the passing game. We did run the ball well, so we don’t have to throw the baby out to the bath water, if you know what I am saying. We just need to get on those guys, develop them, we get the pads on this week and get going there. The linebacker group is a group where there is a lot of competition, we just need to get healthier.

Q: How did Darian Thompson do in his first extended game action?

A: Darian had a good start. He was out there; he was 100 percent in his assignments or close to it. He communicated well. Special teams, he has some improvement to do there, so he can get better in special teams, but he had a nice night from a defensive perspective. And again, it is just a starting point.

Q: Was that what you were looking for the most? The 100 percent on his assignments.

A: Yes. We want guys to play well, grade out assignment-wise and it is about – they have to know what we are asking them to do and then being able to do it the way we are asking them to do it, so it is assignment and technique. Obviously, as a young player he has some things to clean up from a technique perspective, but his assignments were clean.

Q: Where does everyone stand behind those two guys (Landon Collins and Darian Thompson) at safety?

A: Yes, Darian and Landon, again they were solid. Nat Berhe got some good snaps in there, as did Mykkele Thompson. It is really an open competition there. Cooper Taylor, you can throw in the mix, (Andrew) Adams, Bennett Jackson and (Justin) Currie — it is an open competition there behind them.

Q: Was the touchdown before the half, is that something where Berhe needs to stick with the ball and not the player?

A: Yeah, that is a fluke play. The quarterback tried to fit it into tight coverage. You would like to see the corner hang with that number one receiver a little longer. It was more – chalk that one up to the football gods, but that was a heck of a happening there. That is what that was.

Q:  How do you feel about your depth at offensive line?

A: Again, I think that we have guys who we feel can compete at a high level. They had a bad night in pass protection last night, they played better in the run game than they did in pass protection and we need to put the pads on and get back to work. That is what I see.

Q: Is there anything more on Victor Cruz and his status?

A: We are going to throw Victor out and do individual with him and see how he gets through individual and then we will take it from there.

Q: Aside from losing the game, was there anything that was a real disappointment to you?

A: Yeah. Taking care of the football. As much time and energy as we spend on the football and taking care of The Duke in practice, for us to be that careless with the ball is very disappointing and it will be fixed and it will be addressed.

ARTICLES…

Aug 132016
 
Jonathan Casillas, New York Giants (August 12 2016)

Jonathan Casillas – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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MIAMI DOLPHINS 27 – NEW YORK GIANTS 10…
The Ben McAdoo era began with a 27-10 preseason defeat at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Friday night. McAdoo decided not to play quarterback Eli Manning and wide receiver Odell Beckham. Quarterback Ryan Nassib struggled in Eli’s place. But the starting defense played well and the offense did just enough to help New York take a 10-0 advantage in the first quarter. However, aided by four turnovers, the Dolphins scored 27 unanswered points to win an unexciting contest.

The Giants drove 74 yards in nine plays on their opening possession to take a 7-0 lead. The drive was highlighted by a 19-yard run by running back Shane Vereen and a diving 24-yard catch by rookie wide receiver Sterling Shepard on 3rd-and-6. Two plays later, running back Rashad Jennings scored from three yards out. The Giants were fortunate, however, in that Miami was flagged with two costly penalties on this drive, including a botched shotgun snap on 3rd-and-11.

Meanwhile, the Giants defense did not allow a first down on Miami’s first five offensive possessions. The defense stopped the run and pressured the quarterback. Late in the 1st quarter, linebacker Jonathan Casillas intercepted quarterback Matt Moore at the Dolphins 30-yard line and returned it to the 11-yard line. Despite setting up a 1st-and-goal from the 1-yard line, the Giants offense could not punch it in and New York settled for a 20-yard field goal to go up 10-0.

The failure to score from the 1-yard line was a bad omen. After the first drive where the Giants gained five first downs, the team did not gain more than one first down on any drive for the remainder of the game. In their final 13 possessions, the Giants gained seven first downs. Nassib was dreadful, only completing 7-of-15 passes for 75 yards. Two of his his deep throws were underthrown and intercepted. He also carelessly fumbled the ball away, setting up the Dolphins at the Giants 5-yard line. Nassib was lucky a couple of other throws were not picked off.

Nassib’s three turnovers led to 17 second quarter points by the Dolphins, one touchdown coming off of a fluke 51-yard pass where the intended receiver tipped the ball to another receiver who scored. In the second half, the Dolphins scored again on a short field after a fumble by running back Paul Perkins at New York’s 25-yard line.

New York finished the game with only 69 net yards passing (the Dolphins had 192). The Giants did out-rush the Dolphins 158 to 104. The second- and third-team players on the Giants offensive line struggled.

Some defensive highlights included:

  • Two quarterback hits by DE Olivier Vernon.
  • Three quarterback hits and two sacks by DE Owamagbe Odighizuwa.
  • One sack by DE Stansly Maponga.
  • An active game – including four tackles – by DE Romeo Okwara.
  • Four tackles and one sack by DT Greg Milhouse.
  • Seven tackles and two tackles for a loss by LB B.J. Goodson.
  • An aggressive game by CB Eli Apple, including a solid tackle short of the sticks.

Video highlights/lowlights are available at Giants.com.

INJURY REPORT…
Not playing were WR Victor Cruz (groin), DE Kerry Wynn (groin), LB Keenan Robinson (groin), LB J.T. Thomas (hamstring/PUP), and DT Jay Bromley (ankle/PUP).

CB Eli Apple (lower leg strain), WR Sterling Shepard (groin strain), WR Geremy Davis (hamstring), and TE Will Johnson (burner) all left the game and did not return.

Head Coach Ben McAdoo did not think the injuries to Apple, Shepard, or Davis were serious.

“I’m feeling fine,” said Apple. “It’s just a lower leg strain, it’s gonna be fine.”

“I feel good,” said Shepard. “It’s just sore from practice, but it’s all good now.”

POST-GAME REACTIONS…
Transcripts and video clips of post-game media sessions with Head Coach Ben McAdoo and the following players are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

ARTICLES…

Jun 032016
 
Jerell Adams, New York Giants (May 6, 2016)

Jerell Adams – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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JUNE 2-3, 2016 NEW YORK GIANTS OTA PRACTICES…
The Giants held their fifth and sixth voluntary organized team activity (OTA) practices on Thursday and Friday. The media was not granted access to these practices. No live contact is permitted during OTAs, but 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills are allowed.

Giants.com identified “5 things we learned” and “standout players” from the two practices:

The four remaining OTA practices will be held June 6-7 and June 9-10. The Giants will hold a mandatory, full-team mini-camp on June 14-16.

ARTICLES…

Jun 012016
 
Darian Thompson, New York Giants (May 6, 2016)

Darian Thompson – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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JUNE 1, 2016 NEW YORK GIANTS OTA PRACTICE REPORT…
The Giants held their fourth voluntary organized team activity (OTA) practice on Wednesday. No live contact is permitted during OTAs, but 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills are allowed.

The six remaining OTA practices will be held June 2-3, June 6-7, and June 9-10. The Giants will hold a mandatory, full-team mini-camp on June 14-16.

DARIAN THOMPSON SIGNED…
The New York Giants have signed safety Darian Thompson, their 3rd round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Linebacker B.J. Goodson – the team’s 4th round pick – remains the only unsigned draft pick.

INJURY REPORT AND ABSENTEES…
As previously reported, safety Cooper Taylor had surgery in May repair a sports hernia injury and will be out until training camp begins on July 28.

Continuing to work on the side were wide receiver Victor Cruz (calf) and running back Orleans Darkwa (leg). Defensive tackle Montori Hughes (unknown) did not practice.

“(Cruz is) progressing, but he’s still in a holding pattern,” said Head Coach Ben McAdoo. “We’re looking forward to getting him back to training camp.”

“(Darkwa is) working through it,” said McAdoo. “He’s making progress. He’s not back yet, but hopefully we have a chance to see him at training camp.”

Wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr. and defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul did not attend the voluntary practice on Wednesday.

PRACTICE NOTES…
Some snippets from various media sources:

  • The first-team wide receivers were Geremy Davis and Myles White. Wide receiver Sterling Shepard also worked some with the first-team offense.
  • The starting offensive line remains Ereck Flowers at left tackle, Justin Pugh at left guard, Weston Richburg at center, John Jerry at right guard, and Marshall Newhouse at right tackle.
  • Adam Gettis was the center and Bobby Hart the right tackle with the second unit.
  • Center Shane McDermott received first-team reps at right tackle, right guard, center, left guard, and left tackle during walk-through team drills.
  • Tight end Matt LaCosse saw some first-team reps and made some plays.
  • The first-team defensive ends were Owamagbe Odighizuwa (left) and Olivier Vernon (right).
  • The starting linebackers were Jasper Brinkley (middle), Jonathan Casillas, and Devon Kennard.
  • Cornerbacks Janoris Jenkins, Eli Apple, and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie all worked with the first-team defense. Trevin Wade received reps as slot corner with the first team.
  • Cornerback Donte Deayon made a couple of nice plays in team drills.
  • Landon Collins, Darian Thompson, and Nat Berhe saw time with the first unit at safety.
  • Linebacker B.J. Goodson made a juggling, diving interception.

Sterling Shepard makes plenty of plays | Giants OTA observations by Jordan Raanan for NJ.com

HEAD COACH BEN MCADOO…
The transcript of Ben McAdoo’s press conference on Wednesday is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available at Giants.com.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

NY POST Q&A WITH STERLING SHEPARD…
Meet Giants’ Sterling Shepard: Self scouting report, NY wonder, unflinching mom by Steve Serby of The New York Post

ARTICLES…

May 262016
 
Sterling Shepard, New York Giants (May 6, 2016)

Sterling Shepard – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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NEW YORK GIANTS OTA VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS…
The Giants have completed three of their ten organized team activity (OTA) practices (May 23-24, 26). No live contact is permitted during OTAs, but 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills are allowed. There was no media access for the practices on May 24 and May 26, but Giants.com made available the following highlights:

  • May 24 OTA Practice Highlights (Video)
  • Inside the Huddle: D-Line (Video)

Giants.com also identified “5 things we learned” and “standout players” from the two practices:

The seven remaining OTA practices will be held June 1-3, June 6-7, and June 9-10. The Giants will hold a mandatory, full-team mini-camp on June 14-16.

GIANTS.COM PLAYER INTERVIEWS…
Video clips of recent Giants.com “insider” interviews with the following players are available at Giants.com:

  • WR Geremy Davis (Video)
  • DE Owamagbe Odighizuwa (Video)
  • S Bennett Jackson (Video)

ARTICLES…

Feb 242016
 
Ben McAdoo, New York Giants (February 24, 2016)

Ben McAdoo – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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BEN MCADOO PRESS CONFERENCE AT NFL COMBINE…
New York Giants Head Coach Ben McAdoo addressed the press at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis on Wednesday. The video of the media session is also available at Giants.com.

Q: What do you usually get out of the combine and does that change for you now that you’re head coach compared to being a position coach or even a coordinator?

A: No, what you try to do as a coach is—you’ve knocked out free agency, you’re in the middle of scheme evaluations—you come down and you want to really get a first look at these guys. Have a chance to see them, have a chance to meet them, and wrap your hands around the, I guess, the draft class.

Q: Obviously you’re more a part of the decision making process. Will it change functionally?

A: No, you’re going to try to operate the same way: just take a look at the offense, defense, and special teams.

Q: You worked for two head coaches that have won Super Bowls and you’ve rose to be a head coach. What does that mean to you?

A: Well it gives you a blueprint. You get a chance to work with Mike [McCarthy] and work with Tom [Coughlin], see a couple of different ways, really, to go about your business. There are a couple different ways to skin a cat, and Tom and Mike are great examples of that.

Q: What’s the transition been like for you going from offensive coordinator to head coach?

A: It’s really large-scale leadership. You do things on a smaller scale as a position coach—you’re the head coach of your position. Then as a coordinator, you’re the head coach of the offense. So now, you have a chance to work with different people and a variety of areas, and have a chance to wrap your hands around the entire team.

Q: Rashad Jennings got going towards the end of the season when he was getting volume and the snaps were split as much between the runners. Is that something you plan on continuing into next year or do you plan on keeping that?

A: Oh, it’s early to say. We’re still in the process of evaluating the scheme. We looked at our players and looked at the free agents. We have a chance to go back and look at the draft film, we’re early in the process there. And take a look at some different teams in this league, take a look at teams in the college league, and put that research in, go in and implement in what you want to do, and then see what your roster looks like coming out of camp. That’s really how you decide how the carries fall, how you get those touches.

Q: Have you talked much to Victor Cruz? What’s your sense on what he will able to give you?

A: Yeah, I had a chance to get in touch with Victor; he was by the office the other day just kind of bouncing around, he was doing some rehab. He seems in good spirits, looks great, feels good. Hopefully we have a chance to get him healthy.

Q: Do you expect him to be on your team next year?

A: Absolutely. Right now we’re taking a look at things and he’s on the roster right now. If anything changes, I’ll be the first to know.

Q: What did your time in Green Bay mean? Do you have anything, two or three things, you got from Coach Mike that helped you get here?

A: Time in Green Bay—Green Bay is obviously a special place for me and my family–having a chance to win the Super Bowl there and be a part of some great teams and a great organization. You take a little bit from everywhere you’ve been and obviously I’m going to take a lot from Green Bay and a lot from my experience in two years with the Giants and some other places in the past. You take that and you mold it and you make it your own.

Q: Do you know what you’re going to do as far as calling plays?

A: You know what, that hasn’t been decided yet. We’ll take a look at a couple different scenarios moving forward. But like I said in the past, that’s a schematic advantage so I’m not going to talk about that.

Q: So you think we’ll know opening day or might we not even know opening day?

A: We may give everybody a call sheet on opening day. No, that’s something that we’re going to work through that process and whatever we feel is best for the Giants, that’s what we’re going to do.

Q: You’ve talked a lot about looking back at your team over this past month or so. What did you see when you looked back and what’s your assessment?

A: We’re still right in the middle of scheme evaluation. We haven’t hit the situational part of things yet. We worked through normal down and distance, obviously, the player evaluations. What’s interesting before you get to situations and you’re looking at the normal down and distance, we’ve had a lot of leads in games in the fourth quarter when you’re looking at the scoreboard in between plays. We have to end the game with the lead, and that’s going to be important to us. That’s not something that we’re going beat into the ground with these guys, but that’s something we have to learn from last year and find a way to close these games out.

Q: Did you get any updates on Jason’s [Pierre-Paul] surgery?

A: I spoke to Jason a couple of different times so far throughout the offseason. He seems in good spirits. He went through a procedure and we’ll have to see how that goes.

Q: Is playing without a club something that might be happening or is that something that might still be used moving forward?

A: That hasn’t been determined yet.

Q: Do you have a part of the combine now when you come here as a head coach that, I don’t want to say you look forward to, but you place more emphasis on now than maybe you did as an OC?

A: I think when you look at the history of the combine, probably still the most important thing is you have the chance to get these players in front of the doctors and get them examined there so you know what you’re dealing with and get a medical grade on them. You have a chance to meet them and shake their hand and look them in the eye and talk to them, and kind of get a feel about what they’re about—they’re not just a guy on tape, they’re not just a guy on a piece of paper, but they’re a human being–and what they’re all about and what they stand for and where they came from. Those are two important parts for me. I think it’s good to get out and see them move around on the field and bend their knees a little bit, and get their hands on some footballs and see how they look there. You have a chance to put a name with a face and just take them off the sheet of paper and off the film and know who they are.

Q: Has Jerry [Reese] decided how things will go on draft day?

A: Jerry and I, we’re attached at the hip. Lines of communication are open, we’ve had productive dialogue, and whatever he needs from me, I’m willing to do. I look forward to building that relationship.

Q: What’s your evaluation of the depth of the wide receiver position behind Odell Beckham? How is Victor Cruz doing?

A: Victor Cruz had a successful procedure done. He feels good, he looks good, he’s coming along in rehab. No hiccups there so far, we like that, we’re encouraged with that right there. We have some other guys that are going to have a chance to step up, possibly some young guys. Again, it’s still early in the process.

Q: You have an obvious need at pass rusher. Do you think that Jason can still be a dominant pass rusher in this league? And am I right that it is a priority in finding pass rushers for you this offseason?

A: It was obvious when Jason came back last year how disruptive he was without playing football for a long time. Just coming in and having a couple weeks to get his feet underneath him being able to go out and be disruptive as a pass rusher. I just think when you look at him and his ability to get off the ball and get after the quarterback, it’s easy to see and that’s something that comes natural for him. You don’t think that’s going to change anytime soon? I don’t either.

Q: Is finding guys who can get to the quarterback tops on your to-do list this offseason?

A: Yeah, I mean, the quickest way to get better is up front on both sides of the ball. You have to protect your quarterback and you have to get after the other teams quarterback. It’s directly related to the QB rating differential, which is important in winning and losing games. You want to do a better job getting after the quarterback whether it’s up front, or whether it’s coming from the secondary, putting pressure there from the linebacker level. But you have to make the quarterback comfortable, certainly.

Q: Changing the strength and conditioning program on the team, is that related to the injuries that this team has had over the last few seasons?

A: No, Aaron Wellman and I, go back a little ways. I’ve had my eye on him for a while. I think he does a tremendous job. He’s a forward thinker and that’s something that’s important to me. He can still crack the whip if need be, and that’s hard to find in today’s league. He’ll do a tremendous job. As far as the injuries go, you can’t just point to one thing. Injuries, you have to look at a variety of things that impact injuries. Whether it’s the way we practice, whether it’s the way we hydrate, the way we sleep, the way we recover—you just can’t point to one thing and say that’s going to cure everything as far as the injuries go. But we’re going to look at a variety of things there.

Q: Not just in regards to the strength and conditioning, but how much change do you expect in the organization?

A: Well we’re going to change. Like I said before, I’m not going to try to be Tom. I’m not Tom. He’s already taken. But we’re going to evolve a little bit, it’s evolution, not revolution. If something works and we feel good about it and we like it, we’re going to stick with it. If not, we’re going to make some changes. There are some things that we’ve done in the past and we’ve kicked around a lot of ideas within the staff. We’re going to implement those moving forward, and we’re going to make it our own.

Q: How far along did your talks with the Eagles get before you took the job with the Giants?

A: I went down for an interview.

Q: They never offered you the job?

A: Never offered me the job.

Q: What did you see in Patrick [Graham]? We’re you at all surprised he was available?

A: Patrick had a chance to come down for an interview, showed tremendously well. We didn’t want to let him out of the building. We feel very fortunate to have him and I look forward to working with him.

Q: Did you have a second interview schedule with the Eagles?

A: There was a potential for a second interview.

Q: You guys released two offensive line—Will Beatty and Geoff Schwartz. What was the thinking behind that? Why was there not an effort made to try and maybe renegotiate with them and the decision was made to part ways?

A: First of all, we thank those men for their contributions to the Giants. This is a business, sometimes things don’t work out. We wish them nothing but the best.

Q: I guess Tom Coughlin has spent some time around the office since the change was made. Have you had much interaction with him? Has that been helpful or awkward?

A: No, not awkward at all. I respect Tom. Have talked to him a few different times since he left. I feel we have a strong relationship. I’m going to bounce ideas off Tom as long as I can bounce ideas off of Tom. He’s someone I have a tremendous amount of respect for, and I’m grateful for everything that I learned from him.

Q: Can you talk about the run game for next year? It seemed like Rashad really got going towards the end of the year.

A: We’re going to take a look. Again, we studied our players. We’re going through, we’re studying our scheme right now. We’ll take a look at free agency, we’ll take a look at the draft, we’re going to study some other teams, and we’re going to study some college teams. We’re going to put it all in the pot, we’re going to stir it up. We’re going to get to training camp, we’re going to come out of camp, and we’re going to take a look at things there and how the roster looks and how we look up front. Coming out of camp we’ll determine that, it’s way too early.

Q: The Giants have been 6-10 the past two years…

A: Where we need to improve? The game’s about the ball, number one, so we need to take care of the ball better. The next thing we need to do is we need to extract the ball better, we need to take it away. After that, we’re going to spend a lot of time on blocking and tackling. If we can take care of those things we’ll be able to find some more wins.

Q: As far as the talent level, do you think the roster needs some major upgrades?

A: We need to add some pieces, yeah. When you look at things, we have a lot of guys right now on the roster who are free, so we need to address that. We need to add some pieces there, but they need to be the right pieces. We need to look out for the long term interest of the New York Giants and what’s best for the future of the New York Giants, number one.

Q: You’re a lot of money under the salary cap. What are you looking to accomplish in free agency as a coach?

A: Again, we evaluated guys, we had a big meeting earlier in the week. We need to do what’s in the best long term interest of the New York Giants and find some right pieces to add to the mix, whether it’s our own guys that we bring back or going out and bringing some other guys in. Again, free agency is free agency. It’s a combination between free agency and the draft on how you add players, how you acquire players. We just need to add some good pieces.

Q: During the combine, especially in the interviews, what are some things you will try to identify from players perhaps showing leadership or just showing qualities you look for?

A: You have to give the agents credit, they do a great job as far as coaching these guys up. They’re well-coached when they come in here. They have a pretty good idea of what’s going to be asked of them. Most of them—I would say 90 percent-plus—do a good job and they show well. It’s hard to find the crack in guys from an interview standpoint anymore, they do a nice job. You like to throw on some football and when you get into the interviews with him and see if they can talk ball and how they can communicate, how they can take criticism, and how they take praise, and do they change? Are they willing to learn, listen and grow?

GIANTS.COM Q&A WITH MARC ROSS…
The video of a short Giants.com Q&A session with New York Giants Vice President of Player Evaluation Marc Ross is available at Giants.com.

ARTICLES…